Meru Senator Mithika Linturi charged with attempted rape

Meru Senator Muthika Linturi has been charged with attempted rape.

The senator appeared before Nairobi Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Nanzushi. He denied the charges which also includes committing an indecent act with an adult.

This follows the dismissal of Linturi’s attempt to block the charges in the High Court. He claimed that they are related to politics, a claim which the Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji and the Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti denied.

The charges also read that on January 30 this year, he attempted to have sex with her without consent. He denied the incident which is alleged to have happened at Maiyan Villas Hotel, Nanyuki, Laikipia County.

It is alleged that he committed the alleged crime at 3am.

“On January 30, 2021, around the 3am at Maiyan Villas Hotel, Nanyuki in Laikipia East Sub County in the Republic of Kenya, intentionally touched the [woman] without consent,” the charges read in part.

His lawyer Muthomi Thiankolu pleaded with the court to hand him a lenient bail term. According to the lawyer, Linturi is a lawmaker who is not a flight risk.

The state did not oppose his release on bail and he was released on a Sh500,000 bond or a Sh200,000 cash bail. The case will be mentioned on October 20.

In the High Court, Linturi told Justice Weldon Korir that he was aware of a rape complaint lodged by a married woman who accused him of slipping into her hotel bed in the night and had even recorded his version of the story.

Haji argued that Linturi was illegally asking the court to investigate whether there was enough evidence to prefer charges against him.

According to the DPP, the rape claim had no relationship with the 37 other charges that the court had barred the State from charging Linturi with.

He asserted that it was for Linturi to tell the court whether he slipped into a married woman’s bed or not, if he is charged.

Linturi sued the State, alleging that the intended charges are linked to politics. He claims that he came to know that he was wanted through a letter by the DCI to interior CS Fred Matiang’i.

According to Linturi, the State wielded a wild card on him in order to circumvent orders barring his arraignment, citing another court battle over the directorship and control of Atticon Ltd.

“These newest alleged criminal offences have never been disclosed to either the first petitioner (Linturi) and/or this court despite the existence of this matter and several appearances by counsel for the respective parties concerned,” he said.