FAMOUS MIPANGO YA KANDO

Kibaki’s presidential brief to the country that he had only one family is arguably one of the most memorable. It was in response to rumor that he had a second family. A woman described as a business woman, moving around with bodyguards and living the life of the upper socialites while appearing at political functions portraying the picture of one representing the man in the highest office in the land had tongues wagging.

Not to help matters was the business woman’s daughter, media-tagged the president’s daughter, being negatively connected with infamous Artur Margarayan brother’s, the kings of impunity far as drugs, gun running, raiding Standard’s offices and sauntering above the law was concerned. Unlike leaders in the southern part of Africa to whom taking many wives is not an issue, our president chose to quiet things his-own-selfish-way.

He is not the first, nor the last ‘big man’, to have ‘the other woman’ mentioned alongside his name.
Until a some months ago, David Petraeus was a highly decorated military officer, having risen to the highest echelons in the US military and going on to head the renown CIA. At sixty, married and a father of two, it took the ‘other’ woman’s jealous to bring his untainted career tumbling. Paula Broadus, in a bid to protect her turf as official mistress, sent a series of anonymous emails to her perceived rival Jill Scott and in the ensuing investigation, other top military brass are in the red.

History is laden with tales of mistresses. In the decade past, the Monicah Lewinsky saga threatened to bring down the career of Bill Clinton, often billed as the first black president for his favorable terms on this race that has been looked down upon in the history of mankind. After months of denial, the president owned up to his transgressions. His wife, who Secretary of state Hillary Clinton stood by him and he survived impeachment.

It is perhaps to quote from the book of Luke 12:48 ‘From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked’ that can explain why there is so much scrutiny in the highest offices of in land. Moral integrity goes hand in hand with leading a nation, but that has never stopped these leading men from taking on a consort.

While some mistresses took their place in the shadows of the first family, others led to events that would change the course of history. The Church of England, which until today is headed by the English Monarchy, traces its beginnings to King Henry VII revolting against papal power in order to marry his mistress, Anne Boleyn. Years earlier, he had a relationship with Mary’s sister, Mary. He later had her beheaded so he could remarry.

While mornach’s had their share of consorting with sisters, one Marylin Monroe, the all time American beauty Icon of the sixties is said to have swung between the president John F. Kennedy and, the Attorney general and later the future AG and John’s brother Robert F. Kennedy. Her two timing is said to have led to her death from a supposedly induced overdose. The two brothers also went on to be felled by the assasin’s bullet seven years apart

As far as presidents go, America’s longest serving president, Frankline Delano Roosevelt had his share of pie, and he ate it. Roosevelts wife, Eleanor had hired Lucy Mercer as personal secretary to FDR. The ensuing relationship almost caused a divorce among the first couple, but state obligations prevailed on the two to stay tied by the wedding band.

Back to the monarchy loin intrigues. Great Britains and Northern ireland long reigning monarch queen Elizabeth II owes her royal seat to her uncle giving the seat to her father so he could marry his twice divorced sweet heart, the American socialite Wallis Simpson. They later divorced.

Decades later, the world was to be heartbroken when the world beloved princess Diana Spencer went public with the news that she was seeking divorce from the next in line to the throne. She lay her claim that there were three people in the marriage. Camila Parker Bowles, longtime lover of Prince Charles was the third leg in the tripod. Much later after the sensational death of Princess Diana, Prince Charles married the now divorced Carmilla. They are still together.

Perhaps, so as not to jeopardize marriages, these public figures should borrow a leaf from our very own Walter Mong’are a.k.a Nyambane who officiated his marriage to his second wife, TPF’s Linda Muthama. Or take after anti Jigger crusader the beauty queen Cecilia Mwangi who came out in public as being the second wife of a youthful coast politician.

Perchance the Europeans have sold the culture of monogamy to the world, but the worlds residents have not wholly taken to the practice. Perchance, it is to those whose much is given that much is expected in return; in the form of sharing. 

2012-11-27