Woman seeks child upkeep from State House aide

A woman has sued President William Ruto’s Messaging Secretary and Speechwriter Eric Kipkoech Ng’eno over child neglect and is seeking Sh100,000 monthly maintenance.

In the case No. E1234 of 2023 filed in the children’s court at Milimani High Court in Nairobi, the woman, who is a freelance consultant,  through Odiya & Associates Advocates says they had a relationship with the defendant (Ng’eno) resulting in the birth of a child(name withheld), who is currently aged six years and seven months.

“The Plaintiff avers that the Defendant has abdicated and/or neglected his parental duties and responsibilities which shows disregard for the love and care which a child requires,” said the woman in her plaint.

She adds: “As a consequence, thereof and due to the fact that the Defendant has continuously abandoned his duties and responsibilities, the plaintiff has had to shoulder all the parental responsibilities alone, including but not limited to attending to his education needs, medical care, shelter, food, clothing, transport and general welfare and or wellbeing.”

The woman says besides being the breadwinner, to ensure the child’s emotional and psychological growth and needs are met, ‘‘the plaintiff has regularly and continuously taken time to attend to the minor with absolutely no qualitative or quantitative input from the defendant notwithstanding his ability to do so.’’

She says Ng’eno “is a man of great means holding one of the top government positions currently working at the State House with a monthly salary of over Ksh650,000(Kenya shillings six hundred and fifty thousand over and above allowances and perks.’’

She says she will meet the remaining needs of the child in the exercise of her parental responsibility.

But in response, Nge’no denies paternity of the child and says the six orders sought by the woman above are “mischievous as some are not contained are not supported by the Plaint on the strength on the strength of which the subject Notice of Motion Application is premised.”

“I deny the contents of paragraph 2, 3, and 4 of the supporting affidavit in their entirety and wish to state that I deny paternity of the subject minor. The birth certificate annexed to the subject application does not disclose the identity of the father of the minor,” says Ng’eno.

“In denying the contents of paragraph 8 of the supporting affidavit, I wish to state that should a paternity test prove that I am the biological father of the subject minor, I shall comply with the court’s orders regarding my parental responsibilities,” he adds.