A secret love affair between a Meru man and a married woman has ended in disaster, landing the man in prison for 16 years after a humiliating ambush exposed their relationship.
The man, identified as Kirimi, 36, was caught red-handed with another man’s pregnant wife after the husband, accompanied by the area chief and locals, stormed into his house.
What began as a discreet romance quickly turned into a legal nightmare. According to Kirimi, the ambush may have been driven by a personal grudge with the chief, with whom he had clashed days earlier over a boda boda dispute.
In the heat of the confrontation, the woman reportedly disowned Kirimi, claiming he had forced her into the house against her will. She also denied ever knowing him, a move that shielded her from her husband’s wrath but left Kirimi cornered.
He was arrested and later charged with assault. Out of fear that the woman would face legal trouble if the affair was exposed, Kirimi kept silent about their relationship—a decision he now says cost him his freedom.
“I thought I was protecting her, but my silence led to this verdict,” Kirimi lamented from prison.
The case has since stirred heated debate online, with many warning against secret affairs and urging honesty in court to avoid similar outcomes.
Kirimi is now holding onto hope that the woman may one day come forward with the truth, giving him a chance at an appeal and a second shot at freedom.
