Trade unionist Francis Atwoli’s second wife has accused him of forcibly evicting her and their 13-year-old son from their Kileleshwa home in Nairobi.
Roselinda Atwoli yesterday filed a complaint with police. She narrated how a visit to see their son on Tuesday evening degenerated into a furious exchange of words, culminating in her being forced out of the house together with the boy at 7pm. The two acquired the apartment in 2006.
Roselinda said she visited her son on the advice of Fida. She vied for and lost the Webuye West parliamentary seat in the last General Election. She visited her son whom Atwoli had taken away in January.
Roselinda Atwoli
Atwoli yesterday said he allowed Roselinda to come and visit but she overstayed her welcome.
He said he has never denied her access to the son and that she is free to visit and even go out with him, but not stay in the apartment.
“I allowed her to come and visit the kid but not spend the night. I have a first wife who does not behave like Roselinda. She respects our marriage.”
Roselinda, 53, said the marital hiccups started in 2015. But it was not always like that, she says, recalling a ‘prince charming’ Atwoli whom she met and married 22 years ago while a single mother of three. The marriage bore them two kids.
However, Atwoli was at odds with her in 2016 when she allowed her eldest daughter to take aviation studies in South Africa. The differences resulted in Atwoli writing a letter to the school to discontinue the girl’s studies. “From then he changed and it was like he had no soul ... any more. He was clearly blacked out. There was no person when I looked at him,” Roselinda said. She says a ‘chaotic’ Atwoli has not supported the family financially since the marriage turned sour. “From 2016 to date, he has never assaulted me but I have heard all sorts of insults.” Roselinda said efforts to reach Atwoli to resolve the problems have been in vain.
Roselinda denied Atwoli’s claims in a recent TV interview that she defied his will and joined politics. After the interview, an audio recording of Roselinda and Atwoli went out on social media in which the two argued about a home in Kakamega.
Atwoli has since taken a third wife, journalist Mary Kilobi.
By CAROLE KUBWA and LEWIS NYAUNDI