Kenya legislator says first lady assaulted him

By Duncan Miriri

NAIROBI (Reuters) - A Kenyan legislator on Monday accused President Mwai Kibaki's wife, Lucy, of assaulting him at the official State House residence three weeks ago and said he planned to sue her. The government denied the charge.

Government-allied legislator Gitobu Imanyara, a lawyer who unsuccessfully sued the first lady on behalf of a television cameraman who said she slapped him in 2005, told reporters he had been the latest target of Lucy Kibaki's ire.

But the government fiercely denied the claim, saying Kibaki had instructed her lawyers to take legal action against Imanyara and "any other individual or outlets that perpetuate or communicate the wild allegations made today".

"(The allegations) border on character assassination, blackmail and are part of a wider political scheme aimed at besmirching the office of the First Lady," a statement from the Presidential Press Service said.

The president is currently wrestling with a national crisis over disputed elections that have ignited opposition calls for his removal and widespread ethnic bloodshed.

"I will be bringing proceedings against her this week, so we can give her an opportunity to come to court and tell the Kenyan people why she thinks that she has control of State House, that she can run amok," Imanyara told reporters.

He said he was in State House for a meeting about the race for parliament speaker when the first lady became angry at his presence because he had been involved in the earlier lawsuit.

"She was in pajamas and not wearing any shoes. She immediately started throwing punches at me shouting 'nobody goes here without my permission'," Imanyara said.