Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria must be a relieved man after Milimani Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku acquitted him of assault charges against a female TV commentator.
The Nairobi court heard on Thursday that the complainant, Joyce Wanja alias Wagichungumwa, wished to withdraw the suit.
Wanja, who is a commentator at Inooro TV, petitioned the court to have the suit adjourned with no further proceedings.
She told the court that she did not wish to disclose the reasons why she decided to withdraw the case, only saying she had forgiven Moses Kuria.
Wanja also denied being paid or coerced to drop the assault accusations.
“I have not been forced or coerced in any way by the accused to have me withdraw the matter,” she told the court.
Wanja insisted that Moses Kuria had not been involved in her new decision, absolving him of any involvement.
The petitioner had accused the lawmaker of assaulting her at the Royal Media Services premises in December 2019.
The two had met at the RMS studios to discuss the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report when the incident happened.
Wanja, a grassroots activist, alleged that Moses Kuria descended on her with kicks and blows while she was preparing to go on air for Inooro TV Kirîrîmbi show.
Wanja claimed Kuria assaulted her after she asked him to retract remarks he made about Kiambu women wearing smelly panties.
“Whatever he said about women was demeaning and the remarks were made in the presence of children, that is why I told him to rethink and retract them, but instead he attacked me,” she said at the time.
“He insulted the women in Kiambu county during an event hosted by Gospel musician Loise Kim. He [Moses Kuria] talked about women’s underwear and said that they are filthy because anyone can have intercourse with them at any place.
“And I offered to buy women’s underwear for him to take to the women that he had found with dirty underwear because I believe if you find that someone has a problem then you should help them instead of parading them at their worst.
“When I offered that solution, Moses Kuria turned on me and punched me and I fell to the ground. People had to come help me to get up,” Joyce recounted.
