Former President Daniel arap Moi’s son Philip
faced off in court with his estranged wife for the first time over the upkeep
of their two children.
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Former
President Moi's son Philip Moi in court April 19, 2012
where
he was ordered to pay his estranged wife Rossana Pluda
Sh500,000
for upkeep payment and children maintenance.
PAUL
WAWERU
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Mr Moi and Ms Rossana Pluda were in
court following an order issued last week that they both be present during the
hearing of two applications they have filed.
Mr Moi’s appearance in court ended
what has been a hide and seek game with the police after warrants for his
arrest were issued for failing to honour a court order to cater for his wife’s
and children’s maintenance.
And as a punishment for not honouring
the court directions, he was ordered to pay Ms Pluda Sh500,000 by close of
business on Thursday.
Appear in person
In addition, Mr Justice Isaac Lenaola
ordered him to appear in court in person on May 18 when he will issue a ruling
in another petition Mr Moi filed challenging the constitutionality of the
warrant of arrest.
Justice Lenaola questioned each of
them to establish who was misleading the court.
Ms Pluda complained that she had not
been able to pay her debts and was planning to leave the country if Mr Moi
refused to pay Sh7.6 million, which had accrued from the monthly upkeep he was
directed to pay.
“The situation is worse especially
with the upkeep of children. I do not want to stay in the country any more
because I have electricity bills and medical bills,” she said.
She demanded that Mr Moi pays her Sh2
million immediately. However, Mr Moi said he was only able to raise Sh400,000.
“I’m a human being just like any other
Kenyan and it is unfair for someone to wake up one morning and demand Sh1
million just because I am a son of former President Moi.”
Mr Justice Lenaola concurred that
raising Sh2 million within a day was difficult, but ruled that Mr Moi had
friends who could assist him raise Sh500,000 within a day to pay Ms Pluda
failure to which he would issue a fresh order to have him locked up in prison.
Petition for divorce
Mr Moi and Ms Pluda have been at the centre of numerous legal tussles revolving around the upkeep
of their children after she filed a petition for divorce in December 2008.
In October last year, Mr Justice GBM
Kariuki ordered Mr Moi to pay Ms Pluda Sh250,000 a month for her upkeep and the
maintenance of their two children.
The former president’s son
failed to pay and in February the judge ordered that he be arrested and jailed
at the Industrial Area Prison for a month unless he paid all maintenance due
from him to Ms Pluda.
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