Esther Adongo Arunga, also known as Esther Timberlake, is a barrister, solicitor, and a former television and radio presenter from Kenya, who now resides in Australia. She is married to Quincy Timberlake and is a co-founder of the PlaCenta Party (Platinum Centralizer and Unionist Party of Kenya).
Early life and education
editEsther Arunga has a twin brother and six other siblings. She was raised Seventh-day Adventist.[1] She was educated at Kenya High School, earned Bachelor's degrees in communication and law from the University of Wollongong in New South Wales,[2] returned to Kenya for a one-year degree course at the Kenya School of Law[1] and was admitted to the bar in Nairobi in 2009.[3]
Broadcasting
editShe worked as an announcer and journalist at 98.4 Capital FM in Nairobi[4] and for the Kenya Television Network.[5][6] She won the 2008 CHAT Award for best Teen TV Anchor/Presenter.[7]
Church, politics and marriage
editIn 2009 Arunga joined the Finger of God Church started by Joseph Hellon, a distant relative.[1][8] She became engaged to Wilson Malaba, an elder of the church, but in early 2010 called off the engagement and moved out of her parents' house to live in a church-owned mansion with Hellon and a number of other church members.[9] She has since said that her parents wanted to marry her to a politician in the government.[10] That February, she, Hellon, and Quincy Timberlake announced the formation of the PlaCenta Party (Platinum Centralizer and Unionist Party) of Kenya and Hellon's candidacy for the presidency and Arunga's for the seat of Karachuonyo Constituency and the deputy presidency.[11][12][13] Arunga resigned from her job as a news anchor at Kenya Television Network the same day. That night, a number of people associated with the church, including Arunga and Hellon, were arrested and charged with running an unregistered association, although the church had been registered five years before. Computers and laptops were destroyed, documents confiscated and vehicles impounded.[14][15] She and Timberlake both say they were isolated and tortured.[16] She announced lawsuits against her parents, psychiatrist Dr. Frank Njenga who allegedly forcefully aborted her baby under political orders,[17][18] the Attorney General, and the Kenya Police for wrongful imprisonment and torture.[19][20] Arunga was released after two days and on 3 March 2010 married Quincy Timberlake while he was still in custody;[20] however, she has since stated that Hellon performed the ceremony at another time.[21]
Australia
editFeeling unsafe,[22] the Timberlakes left Kenya, and by way of Dubai went to Australia, where as of July 2012[update], she is a barrister at the New South Wales Supreme Court and has acquired citizenship.[10][23] She has announced that she will run for office in Kenya,[24] and that she would be accepting an offer from Al Jazeera to co-host a features show.[22]
In June 2014, the elder of the couple's two sons died after an apparent accident at their home.[25] In September of that year her husband was charged with the murder of the child, to which he subsequently pleaded not guilty in court.[26] Esther Timberlake was later charged as an accessory and was released on bail. She gave new evidence that her husband had used healing techniques on the boy and had pressed his stomach repeatedly and thrown him against a wall.[27][28] She is reported to have changed her name to Chryslertte Provydence Timberlake.[29] In 2016 she was reported to have been working somewhere in Australia.[30]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Esther Arunga Timberlake pregnant and loving it" Archived 3 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Salon Magazine, October 2010.
- ^ "The University of Wollongong 2004 Graduates", retrieved 12 August 2014 (pdf)
- ^ "KTN Anchor Esther Arunga hugs her mother Petroline Arunga at the Nairobi Law Courts Thursday moments after her admission to the Bar as an advocate", The Standard, 1 May 2009.
- ^ Laura Walubengo, "98.4 Capital FM rocks 15 years on", 98.4 Capital FM, 9 September 2011.
- ^ K. T. Banda, "Anchors doing a great job", Daily Nation, 4 April 2009.
- ^ "Esther Arunga on why she quit KTN", The Standard, 20 February 2010.
- ^ "7th Chat Awards Slideshow" Archived 19 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine p. 12, Teenwise Media Group, 8 September 2009.
- ^ Shirley Genga, "Hellon shares on life's ups and down", The Standard, 6 April 2013.
- ^ Charles Otieno, "Esther Arunga saga", The Standard, 19 February 2010.
- ^ a b Stevens Muendo, "Season 2 of Esther Arunga saga", The Standard, 6 July 2012, p. 2.
- ^ "Esther Timberlake for Karachuonyo Constituency MP 2013" Archived 18 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Kenya Decides 2012, IEBC, retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ^ Judie Kaberia, "Placenta party of Kenya launches manifesto", Capital, 16 April 2010.
- ^ "The Finger of God Trio Plans", Citizen TV, 18 March 2010, retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ^ "Police arrest Arunga, Hellon", Daily Nation, 21 February 2010.
- ^ Bernard Momanyi, "Esther Arunga and Joseph Hellon arrested". Capital, 22 February 2010.
- ^ Kenyan Daily Post, "How Raila ordered Esther Arunga's forceful abortion" Archived 8 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Jambo News Spot, 14 July 2012, retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ^ Daily Post, "ESTHER ARUNGA Part 2: Dr Frank Njenga forcefully aborted her under political orders"
- ^ Diaspora Messenger, "Esther Arunga: Dr Frank Njenga forcefully aborted her under political orders"
- ^ John Muchiri and Maureen Onyango with Caroline Wafula, "Arunga Sues Parents, Declares She is Married", Daily Nation, 4 March 2010, archived at the Wayback Machine, 2 July 2014.
- ^ a b "Esther Arunga weds Quincy Timberlake", Capital, 4 March 2010.
- ^ "Esther Arunga and Quincy Timberlake" Archived 4 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine, reprinted from Pregnant Magazine, October 2010, at Kenyan Magazines, retrieved 16 August 2014.
- ^ a b David Odongo, "Arunga blames parents for a rocky start in marriage", The Nairobean, 24 January 2014.
- ^ Stevens Muendo, "Season 2 of Esther Arunga saga", The Standard, 6 July 2012, p. 1.
- ^ Stevens Muendo, "Season 2 of Esther Arunga saga", The Standard, 6 July 2012, p. 3.
- ^ Eugene Okumu, "Esther Arunga, Timberlake questioned over son's death in Australia" Archived 5 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine, The Star, 26 June 2014.
- ^ Kristian Silva, "Kenyan politician Quincy Timberlake denies murdering son at Kallangur", Brisbane Times, 3 September 2014.
- ^ Kristian Silva, "Quincy Timberlake tried to rid son of demons: court", Brisbane Times, 12 September 2014.
- ^ Jason Rawlins, "Former Kenyan presidential candidate charged with murder thought son was possessed, court told", ABC, 12 September 2014.
- ^ Australian Associated Press, "Kenyan TV presenter gave differing accounts of son's death, court told", The Guardian, 12 September 2014.
- ^ Kwarula Otieno, "Finger Of God Pastor Quincy Timberlake Admitted To Mental Hospital After Assaulting Former TV Queen Esther Arunga"[permanent dead link], The Star, 19 April 2016.On 18 July 2019, she was given a 10 month sentence with a parole for being an accessory to her son's death in 2014 allegedly committed by her husband, Quincy Timberlake.