Woman seeks court help to get upkeep from ex-Lamu West MP

Former Lamu West MP Julius Ndegwa is yet to respond to a petition where a woman wants him compelled to clear house rent arrears and to provide for his child, whom he has allegedly neglected.

Rehema Susan Maalim, who is claiming to be Mr Ndegwa’s wife, has informed the court that the former legislator has neither settled house rent for five months nor sent upkeep money for his child.

The petitioner claims that the respondent, who is responsible for paying rent, has failed to do so for the last five months and that auctioneers have threatened to evict her and auction her property to recover the unpaid accumulated rent.

COURT ORDER

The woman has already obtained a court order from the Tononoka Children’s Court directing Mr Ndegwa to settle the Sh140,000 rent arrears to avert her impending eviction from their residence in Nyali

Senior Resident Magistrate Lucy Sindani had last month directed Mr Ndegwa to clear the rent arrears required by the landlord of the premises where Ms Maalim and her child reside pending the hearing and determination of the application.

After receiving a notice to clear the rent and another to auction her property, the woman moved to court under a certificate of urgency to plead for quick intervention, saying she and her daughter stand to be rendered destitute should the court fail to compel the respondent to clear the debt to avert eviction and sale of her household items.

ABDICATED DUTIES

The woman said that the former MP abdicated his duties by failing to cater for the child and pay rent for the house he had rented for them.

Ms Maalim told the court she used to stay in a house where she could pay Sh18,000 monthly but Mr Ndegwa relocated her to an apartment where he was paying Sh35,000 per month only to disappear later.

The woman claims that all was well until November 2018 when Mr Ndegwa suddenly stopped paying rent and sending upkeep money and also stopped receiving her phone calls.

LEVY DISTRESS

“The respondent, without any notification or justification, has stopped paying the rent or providing any support to us prompting our landlord to issue notice to levy distress,” she said in her plea.

She argued that Mr Ndegwa, being a former MP, a businessman and currently a board member of the Coast Development Authority, is capable of meeting the needs of his child but has chosen to abdicate.

The court was told that Mr Ndegwa has not been served with the order since he is slippery and dodges the process server whenever he is approached with court documents.

The case will be mentioned today (Wednesday).