Retired president Uhuru Kenyatta’s personal assistant Jomo Gecaga has told the court that TV star Ann Kiguta is making unreasonable child upkeep demands in order to finance a luxurious lifestyle.
From the Sh2.7 million she wants monthly, she says Sh600,000 monthly will be used for subsistence, Sh250,000 for utility bills including internet subscription, educational games, Wifi, Microsoft Xbox subscription, water bill, cooking gas, electricity bill, back-up generator fuel and car fuel.
She also wants Sh900,000 for her three children. The money will be used for extra-curricular activities during weekends, library membership, STEM club, horse riding at a reputable riding school as before, tennis and golf clubs and golf.
She also wants Sh1 million for each child for birthday celebrations.
Gecaga has told the court in an affidavit that he is a responsible father who has taken care of his children and has always provided for their upkeep. He has said that the Sh2.7 million being demanded monthly by Kiguta is way too much than what he earns as a government official.
“I have been blessed with five children, who include, the twins born by the plaintiff, and three other children for whom I have parental responsibility. I confirm that I take care and provide for my five children to the best of my ability and within my means.”
“The plaintiff seems to be under the mistaken impression, that because I am related to the family of the former presidents of Kenya, the said family’s alleged wealth belongs to me and that I have access to it and to endless resources, and she has made extremely unreasonable and unrealistic demands, to fund an untenable lifestyle,” argued Gechaga.
Additionally, Gecaga has said that he had no five-year relationship with Kiguta as alleged and that the conception of the two children who are twins was not planned for.
“The conception of the children was unplanned for and a surprise to me. However, I accepted the paternity of my twins and have since their birth provided for them to the best of my ability. I confirm that I have never been intimate with the plaintiff since the conception of the children,” said Gecaga.
Gecaga met Kiguta in 2015 when she was a prime-time TV star. At that time she had another daughter from a previous relationship who Gecaga had no problem providing for. He even moved Kiguta to a palatial home in Runda where the rent was a staggering Sh555,000 a month.
Kiguta had claimed in her suit that she was forced to relocate from the Runda house, a fact that Gecaga has now denied. In fact he has said that Kiguta removed the two children from the school they were attending during the Covid 19 period and has refused to return them to formal schooling.
“I have provided for the accommodation, education, medical cover, clothes, house-helps, a driver to pick and drop the children to school, and security for my children and it is preposterous to hear the plaintiff state in her pleadings that she has had to take loans to maintain the children, when all the big expenses are catered for singlehandedly by myself, from the children’s birth to date,” he says.
The former president’s aide asked the court to direct Kiguta to allow him physical custody of the minors.
“I urge the court to grant the following prayers: That both parents be granted the joint legal custody of the two children. That the defendant be granted the physical custody, care, and control of the children, with reasonable access rights to the plaintiff,” the affidavit reads in part.
