Nairobi News

Two elected MPs are to marry in what is believed to be a first for Kenya’s Parliament.

Eric wa Mumbi, MP for Mathira, and Betty Maina, the Murang’a Woman Representative, are currently living together informally but have decided to formalize their relationship.

Cupid’s arrow is said to have struck the couple during the grueling campaigns for the General Election in August 2022.

The wedding will take place soon, and the two politicians are preparing for a “bride price” negotiation.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is set to lead the Mathira delegation while Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro will play host on behalf of Ms Maina’s delegation in Murang’a.

Mr. Wa Mumbi met Ms. Maina in 2021 and was smitten, saying: “I discovered that she had everything I wanted in a wife.”

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Ms. Maina also had two children from a previous marriage, which ended in divorce. Despite this, she remains friends with her ex-husband, saying she would always be there to defend and support him.

Mr. Wa Mumbi has had a tougher time. He married Catherine Nyambura in 2015, and they were blessed with two sons.

Then tragedy struck when her body was recovered from Hohwe Dam in Nyeri County on May 25, 2020.

Her death was mysterious and complex, and Mr. Wa Mumbi was questioned during the investigation, which eventually fizzled out.

The couple’s relationship is all the more impressive given the setbacks they have both experienced in previous relationships.

However, former Gatanga MP Nduati Ngugi says that both politicians have “raw courage as they pursue their goals with ruthless tenacity.” Mr. Ngugi adds that their common drive and focus make them a “classic case of focus and inspiration.”

Ms. Maina and Mr. Wa Mumbi achieved political success after working for it.

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Ms. Maina was a Athi Water Development Agency director before being elected as Murang’a Woman Representative. In contrast, Mr. Wa Mumbi fought hard for his election as MP for Mathira, having previously been the Konyu ward representative in Nyeri County.

The fact that two politicians who have suffered relationship setbacks could come together in their loneliness and form a long-term bond for the benefit of their children is something worthy of celebration, says Mr. Ngugi.

The couple’s marriage plans have captured the imagination of many Kenyans, with some saying they offer hope for those seeking love. However, they have also attracted criticism from some quarters, with some claiming that their relationship is unprofessional and that they should keep their private lives separate from their public duties.

Despite this, it is clear that Ms. Maina and Mr. Wa Mumbi are committed to each other and are looking forward to starting their new life together as a married couple.

They have shown that love can find a way even in the most unexpected places, such as the corridors of power in Kenya’s Parliament.

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