BY WINSTONE MUSISI
Kenyan celebrated international marathoner Sharon Cherop has moved to court seeking to dissolve her marriage with her estranged husband Mathew Boen, a former marathoner, accusing him on various grounds key among them, threats on her life, desertion and cruelty.
The mother of four stated that he was seeking for divorce from the marriage because their union has reached a point of no return owing to constant threats on her life by the defendant.
She argues that Boen, being a person of short tempers, has been threatening to kill her on several occasions at their matrimonial home in the outskirts of Eldoret town noting that their marriage has irretrievably broken down.
The estranged couples are now living separately since she filed for divorce last December at the Eldoret law court.
“Boen is an alcoholic hence incapable of being fully in-charge of his temper or judgment. I urge this court to take judicial notice of the above in support of fear over my life from my estranged husband,” said Cherop in her petition seeking to end their marriage.
According to Cherop, her estranged husband has always been an absentee father to their children and that whenever he comes unannounced to their matrimonial home, he is always drunk and accompanied by some strangers unknown to her.
“The reasons I want our marriage to be terminated is because our union has always been toxic, coupled with frequent feuds that have impacted on the safety of my life,” stated Cherop.
She cited an incident when Boen took advantage of her absence when she went to Abu Dhabi to participate in a marathon race by sneaking in her house without her knowledge.
In his response, Boen has dismissed Cherop’s claims as frivolous, vexation and a clear abuse of court process, hence the petition should be dismissed with cost.
The former marathoner cried foul saying that his wife had moved to court with unclean hands for non disclosure of material facts adding that she does not deserve the orders sought to end their marriage.
“The reason why she is seeking for divorce is not the grounds she has stated above but purely our multi-million shilling joint business and property which the petitioner wants to take control and not anything to do with marriage,” argues Boen.
On threats, Boen explained that he has never threatened or been abusive to his wife as she alleges in her petition which he claimed has been brought in bad faith with the purpose of embarrassing him or his family.
“I am surprised by allegations on oath by my wife that I am an absentee husband and yet she is the one who brought armed police officers in our matrimonial home to evict me in full glare of our children,” said Boen.
He defended their marriage stating that allegations to the effect that their marriage was irretrievably broken as stated by his estranged wife in her petition was strange to him.