The orders were issued after Senator Lemaletian filed a petition seeking protection from what she described as false marriage claims, online attacks, and reputational damage.
Senator challenges alleged marriage claims
In her petition filed at the Nairobi Commercial Magistrate’s Family Court, Lemaletian wants the court to declare that no valid marriage exists between her and Lenyumpa.
She argues that there is no statutory, customary, or legally recognised marriage between them.
The Senator says Lenyumpa has continued to present himself as her husband based on alleged Samburu customary traditions, claims she disputes.
“There exists no marriage, statutory, customary, or otherwise, between myself and the Respondent,” Lemaletian states in her affidavit.
Lemaletian explains customary courtship process
The Senator acknowledges that Lenyumpa had previously expressed an intention to marry her through Samburu cultural practices.
She says traditional elders allowed him to court her while she was outside the country.
However, she maintains that the process never reached the stage of a valid customary marriage.
According to her affidavit, no dowry was paid, no formal engagement took place, and no marriage was registered under Kenyan law.
She says the symbolic offering of Sh100,000, known as “ropiyani e loip” or “pesa ya kivuli”, was later returned after she withdrew her consent.
Senator alleges harassment and online attacks
Lemaletian accuses Lenyumpa of conducting a campaign to damage her reputation through social media platforms and bloggers.
She claims that false statements portraying him as her husband have caused emotional distress and affected her public image.
The Senator argues that as a public figure, protecting her reputation is important for her political responsibilities.
She has asked the court to prevent Lenyumpa from publicly or privately introducing himself as her husband.
Claims of abuse raised in court documents
In her affidavit, Lemaletian makes allegations of physical and verbal abuse during their interactions.
She claims that one confrontation became violent and resulted in injuries.
She further alleges that a person who attempted to intervene was threatened.
Lenyumpa has not yet responded to the allegations in court.
Court asked to protect Senator’s identity
The Senator is seeking several orders from the court, including a declaration that no marriage exists between the two parties.
She also wants the court to stop Lenyumpa from using her name or identity for personal, legal, financial, or social benefits.
The petition was filed through Danstan Omari & Associates Advocates under provisions of the Marriage Act, 2014 and the Civil Procedure Rules.
Legal battle over marriage claims continues
The case places focus on the legal requirements for recognising customary marriages in Kenya.
The court will determine whether the claims made by Lenyumpa have any legal basis and whether further protective orders should remain in place.
For now, Senator Lemaletian continues to challenge the alleged marriage claims, seeking a formal declaration to protect her reputation and public standing.
