• Christabel and Grace Murunga want the court to order Wangui and her medical experts to collect samples from Murunga’s remains before November 24
• Also sought is an order to review Makau’s ruling that stopped them from conducting the burial.
Image: COURTESY
An application by the two widows of former Matungu MP Justus Murunga seeking to set aside orders stopping them from burying him will be heard tomorrow.
The matter was certified as urgent and will be heard before magistrate Peter Muholi.
Christabel and Grace Murunga say since the demise of their husband, they have been making funeral arrangements and at no time did Agnes Wangui — his alleged mistress — inform them if she had any relationship or children with him.
They say the order issued by magistrate Agnes Makau last week is disruptive as the burial is set for November 28 in Matungu, Kakamega county.
“It is regrettable that Wangui did not contact any of us with a view to having her concerns addressed instead of proceeding to court. This has painted our late husband and us in bad light,” they say.
Through lawyer Patrick Lutta, the two want the court to order Wangui and her medical experts to collect samples from Murunga’s remains before November 24 for purposes of DNA testing to ascertain the paternity of her two children.
Also sought is an order to review Makau’s ruling that stopped them from conducting the burial.
In the alternative, they have asked the court to have Wangui provide Sh10,000 as security to cater for funeral expenses and fees for cancellation of services. This, they say, will act as a condition of maintaining Makau’s order.
“Great expenses have been incurred by the National Assembly in terms of preparation and preservation of the deceased’s body which will be cancelled if the burial does not proceed,” they argue.
But Wangui has denied claims of not making any attempt to contact the duo regarding the matter.
“The truth is that when we had agreed to meet over the same, they sent a third party who is a stranger to this case,” she says.
She adds that she is ready to have the DNA test as soon as possible but at the cost of the estate of the deceased.
According to court documents, Wangui says Murunga had made plans to settle with her in Karen.
He had bought land in Karen and constructions plans were in the pipeline.
“Murunga had also wished we formalise our union before making it known to his family or the public. As a matter of fact, he had wished that the same be conducted in accordance with Agikuyu marriage customs. Unfortunately, death robbed him from us before he could actualise his intentions,” says Wangui.