Formerly celebrated TV presenter Esther Arunga has this week grabbed major headlines in Kenya and Australia after she came clean on the circumstances leading to the death of her three-year-old son on June 18, 2014.
The once high-flying lawyer and journalist on Monday told an Australian court that she lied to police to protect her husband Quincy Wambitta Timberlake, who is accused of beating their son Sinclair to death in the family home in Kallangur, Australia.
“I was terrified of being alone and felt terrible because my husband was sick as well,” she told police. Ms Arunga also pleaded guilty to being an accessory to the murder.
And as Arunga and the country awaits the court ruling on Thursday, the former wife of Quincy Timberlake, Rose Mueni, has spoken.
“With God all things are possible. We’re not judging you as a family and we’re praying for you despite our differences. We’ve always prayed for him and his family because him not being in our lives, doesn’t mean he’s an enemy. Be strong, this shall come to pass. I love him with the love of Christ Jesus,” wrote Ms Mueni.
She added that she is praying for Esther Arunga and encouraged her to stay strong and trust in God.
“I’m really praying for her [Esther] that God intervenes on her behalf. Let her put her trust in God and know that God gave Jesus Christ for all of us and no one is exceptional and that she put her trust in God. God can give her a new start and beginning,” she said.
“No one is a saint. We all make mistakes at one point. But once we make our mistakes or fall, we stand up just ourselves and move on. She might have made a mistake and I think she has learnt from that mistake. She’s not going to stay where she is forever. I believe she has moved on and learnt from her mistakes. There’s no way she can allow people to dictate on her situation at the moment. Negativity will always be there. Let her pick what is going to help her and shun away what’s not going to help her. No one is righteous. People are going to talk too much. Just focus on what is before you right now and ignore negativity.”
Mueni, who has three kids with Timberlake, further implored Kenyans to forgive Ms Arunga and advised her family to stand with their daughter.
“I also think she has so much to tell it’s only that she hasn’t spoken. Let them embrace her. Family is family and when they embrace her she will feel she’s not lonely and just like the prodigal son in the Bible let them stick with her,” she said.
“Forgive her, embrace and accept her. She made a mistake and yes, there’s a time for everything. This is not time to judge her and criticize her. Give her another chance to live. We’re human beings and bound to make mistakes. No one is perfect,” she advised Kenyans.
Mueni also advised Arunga to draw inspiration from Psalms 23.
