By Joe Modie
So, Meru Senator Mithika Linturi checks into a hotel in Nanyuki on January 29. While there, something happens and the matter is kept hidden from the public, until On Monday August 16.
That’s the day Kenyans woke up to the tantalizing reports that the Meru Senator allegedly sexually molested and attempted to rape a woman, while booked at the Maiyan Villas in Nanyuki.
It is alleged that an unidentified woman retired to bed, but did not lock the door as she was expecting her husband to join her.
Later that night she heard someone open the door and join her in bed.
I thought it was my husband
She assumed that person to be her husband – the lights were off. The person who crept into her bed proceeded to fondle her, but they soon fell asleep.
At around 3 am, the woman heard a knock on the door and went to see who it was. It turned out to be her husband, which was odd as all along she thought the husband was sleeping besides her. When the lights were turned on, the intruder was found to be Linturi.
One thing led to another and Linturi was allegedly made to part with Ksh200,000.
That is one part of the story
In late afternoon, Kenyans were treated too another version of the story, this time from Dennis Itumbi, the UDA/Tangatanga spin master – Linturi belongs to the Tangatanga wing of Jubilee – who posted correspondences that claim that Linturi was the victim of a kidnap.
The letters claim that Linturi checked into the above named hotel in the company of a girlfriend and when they retired to bed, strangers allegedly stormed into their room, started beating him up, undressed him and went ahead to take pictures of the Senator, akiwa uchi wa mnyama.
The letter goes on to claim that the strangers allegedly threatened to circulate Linturi’s nudes online unless he paid them a sum of sh1 million. The letter adds that Linturi agreed to the demands under duress as he was being beaten.
Our client pleaded with the kidnappers
“Unable to withstand the increasing beatings and threats any longer, our client pleaded with the kidnappers to accept the only money he had with him, being the sum of Kenya Shillings two hundred thousand…” said the letter allegedly authored by Linturi’s lawyers.
That he agreed to part with the sh200,000 he had with him at the time, with a promise that he would give his tormentors the balance of sh800,000, after he withdraws the money from the bank.
According to the letter, Linturi, instead of going to withdraw the money from the bank, went to report the matter to the Nanyuki Police Station the following day.
Why now?
So, which between the two narratives is true?
Besides, why did it take seven months before this mater became public knowledge?
Who leaked the earlier version to the press and bloggers – and why now?
Where was hotel management/security when all this was taking place?
What steps, if any, did hotel security/management take after this incident?