Mary Kilobi, a Kiswahili TV anchor with KTN, has finally opened up about her private love life, admitting that COTU boss Francis Atwoli, whom she calls ‘Mr Amazing’, is her husband.
Social media went wild last week after a seemingly jilted Bungoma politician Jack Wanami Wamboka, claimed that Atwoli eloped with Kilobi who was his wife.
But Kilobi has dismissed Wanami as a joker out to ruin her blossoming marriage to the 69-year-old veteran trade unionist.
Kilobi told The Nairobian that, “I love Atwoli, he is a caring man who is always there for me. Given another chance, I will still fall in love with him.I fell in love with him the first time i saw him because of his good looks,he is very handsome, Yet when Atwoli first proposed to her, she turned down the offer.
“He proposed to me but I said no.Deep down my heart I wanted to say yes, But he insisted, saying that he was serious and would wait for even 1,000 years for me to say ‘yes’ and marry him,” reveals Kilobi. In retrospect, the TV anchor says she turned down the proposal because of their age difference.
“But I have now realised that age should never be a key consideration in a relationship. Atwoli is that guy who is never bothered about mundane issues that sometimes break up marriages,” says Kilobi.
She describes the COTU boss as a responsible man who comes home straight from work. The couple lives at their IIbisil home in Kajiado after Atwoli finally won her heart in 2016.
“He told me he was lonely and needed a wife to live with in Kajiado. I challenged him to visit my parents and make his intentions known if he was serious. He readily responded by sending a delegation to the village about two months ago,” reveals Kilobi.
The two started living as man and wife after Atwoli fulfilled the Luhya traditional formalities. Two months ago, Atwoli sent a delegation to Kilobi’s parents in Kavula village, Bumula sub-county, where he was officially granted permission to marry the 34-year-old TV hottie, who was also attracted to him because of his prayerful nature.
“Katibu (Atwoli) is very Godly. His commitment to God really attracted me to him. I had never come across a man who fears and loves God like him. He prays every morning for all of us,” she explains.
Kilobi is Atwoli’s third wife and she has no problem being part of a polygamous family. Kilobi says her previous relationship to Wanami did not work out because he was never serious like Atwoli, who made the marriage proposal seven years ago during an outing date at a restaurant in Karen, Nairobi.
She describes her relationship with Wanami, who reportedly accused Atwoli of using money from poor workers to wreck people’s homes, as a disappointment.
“He should show you where our matrimonial home was and whom he gave the bride price if indeed he was married to me as he claims,” says Kilobi.
“I have never been married before, in fact, it is him who used to stay in my Lang’ata house. I never went to his house for the three years of our disastrous courtship,” claims Kilobi