marendeFormer National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende has been sued for child upkeep. The mother of the child Marende allegedly sired is seeking a monthly upkeep of more than Kshs 400,000.
Principal Magistrate Faith Karimi Munyi has already ordered Marende to pay kshs 103,000 as school fees for the 3 year old girl. He is also to pay house rent and provide medical insurance.
The woman told the court that Marende fulfilled his duties until November last year before he suddenly stopped.
Describing how things started, she disclosed that Marende was excited by the prospect of of being a father when she delivered at Nairobi Hospital. The former speaker promised to take care of the child’s upkeep and she says she trusted him on account of his age and position.
She was moved from her house in Westlands to a four bed roomed one in the plush Lavington area. Marende paid for her and the young girl’s upkeep, paid for a house help and provided medical policy for the child. When she reached school going-age, she was enrolled to an international school in Karen.
According to the woman, the unexpected changes started after the General Elections in 2013, when Marende asked her to move from Lavington to Kileleshwa. Later, Mr Marende asked her to move to Rongai. Things completely changed in November last year when the former speaker abruptly stopped providing for the girl’s  upkeep including her first term school fees last month.
” I am not gainfully employed and I’m about to be thrown out of the house,” she says.
She wants the court to order Marende to pay Kshs. 457,000 per month pending the hearing and ruling of the case. The money is broken down as follows: School fees amounting to (Ksh 180,000), rent (Kshs. 90,000), entertainment (Kshs.100,000), clothing (Kshs 60,000), electricity and water bills (Kshs 15,000) and Sh12,000 for the house help.
The case filed on January 29,2013 will be heard on February 26.
Additional reporting by Standard