Mining Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya is now seeking to resolve a court case through mediation after he was sued by his daughter for upkeep.
Mvurya filed an application before the Kakamega Chief Magistrate’s Court requesting a mediator in the case filed by his daughter Yvonne Anono Omanzi.
The former Kwale County governor told the told that he was willing to support his firstborn daughter, even though she is now an adult.
He regretted that his 29-year-old daughter filed the case in court without engaging him first.
“Parental financial responsibility typically concludes at the age of 18, whereas she is 29. Nevertheless, the applicant (Mvurya) does not oppose extending assistance to the respondent (Omanzi) as he is driven by his moral compassion rather than an obligation rooted in legality,” Mvurya said through his lawyer Peter Wanyama.
“Because of the nature of the dispute, it is imperative that mediation be conducted by a court-appointed mediator and a report filed to enable the court to fashion an appropriate remedy,” he added.
Omanzi opposes her father’s submission
Consequently, Omanzi disputed her father’s application, adding that it was a trick he was using to evade the case.
She also cited instances where the Mining CS allegedly avoided meeting her.
“It was not until I brought the matter to court that he decided that he wanted mediation,” Omanzi stated in her affidavit filed by lawyer Edwin Wafula.
She added: “When my father became CS, I solicited bus fare and went to his office to seek help from him. Upon introducing myself at the said office, I was informed that stern instructions had been issued by Mvurya declaring me a persona non grata at the said office.”
“I was escorted out of his office by his security and warned not to appear there again.”
Out-of-court mediation
In addition, the 29-year-old woman has expressed fears that the out-of-court mediation would be meaningless since Mvurya also blocked her lawyer’s number.
She told the court that she had tried reaching out to her father several times to settle the matter out of court without success before filing the case at Kakamega court.
Omanzi noted that she filed the case on June 2, after discovering that the Mining CS was not interested in her well-being.
