Nominated Senator Hezena Lemaletian has moved to court to stop her former fiancé, Musa Hussein Lenyumpa, from publicly claiming she is his wife, months after their highly publicized Samburu customary wedding plans collapsed.
In a petition filed on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at the Magistrate’s Family Court, Lemaletian is seeking a formal declaration that no marriage—customary, statutory, or otherwise—exists between them. She argues that Lenyumpa’s persistent references to her as his wife are false, damaging, and a calculated attempt to tarnish her image and political career.
The rift between the two dates back to late 2024, when the pair, once Samburu’s picture-perfect couple, announced plans for a lavish traditional wedding. Preparations reportedly began with the exchange of KSh 100,000, which the senator says was given as ropiyani e loip, a traditional token of commitment, and not an official dowry.
Under Samburu traditions, dowry negotiations are extensive and involve livestock—often eight cows or more—symbolizing a binding union between two families. Lemaletian says that process never took place, and the planned wedding was called off before any such agreement could be finalized.
“People need to understand that there was no dowry paid, no marriage concluded,” she told reporters after filing the petition. “What was given has been returned. Any claims to the contrary are false and malicious.”
Court documents paint a picture of a relationship that turned sour after the cancelled wedding. Lemaletian alleges that Lenyumpa became physically and verbally abusive, and that he embarked on a smear campaign using social media and paid influencers to portray her as his estranged wife.
She claims the campaign not only damaged her personal reputation but also threatened her standing as a lawmaker, creating unnecessary political drama and media speculation.
On the same day the petition was filed, the court granted temporary restraining orders against Lenyumpa. He is now barred from:Accessing her residence or workplace,Publishing or causing the publication of any material about her,Using her name or image for personal or commercial gain,Harassing, threatening, or physically approaching her.These orders remain in force until the next court hearing.
The senator’s claims that Lenyumpa’s actions amount to defamation. In her affidavit, she accuses him of using “persistent and calculated public declarations” to create the impression that she is his wife, despite her repeated rejections.
She further alleges that these declarations were amplified by a network of online personalities and bloggers, creating a hostile public narrative. The senator says this was a deliberate attempt to humiliate her, cause emotional distress, and jeopardize her political career.
Her lawyers are pushing for a court declaration to “extinguish any notion of marriage” and permanently bar Lenyumpa from associating his name with hers.
Lemaletian has also addressed the financial element of their fallout. She says she returned the KSh 100,000 token in full—together with an additional KSh 100,000 that Lenyumpa had given voluntarily.
By doing so, she maintains, she has fulfilled any perceived cultural obligation and left no legal or traditional basis for him to continue claiming her as a wife.
The case is scheduled for an inter partes hearing on September 22, 2025. On that date, both sides will present their arguments on whether the restraining orders should remain in place, be extended, or be modified.
In the meantime, the court’s orders give Lemaletian temporary protection against any direct contact or online references from her former partner.
Lenyumpa is yet to issue a public statement in response to the lawsuit, speculation is already rife about whether he will contest the senator’s claims or seek an out-of-court settlement.