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 Esther Arunga has a twin brother and six other siblings. She was raised a Seventh-day Adventist."Esther Arunga Timberlake pregnant and loving it" , Salon Magazine, October 2010. She was educated at Kenya High School, earned Bachelor's degrees in communication and law from the University of Wollongong in New South Wales,"The University of Wollongong 2004 Graduates", retrieved 12 August 2014 (pdf) returned to Kenya for a one-year degree course at the Kenya School of Law and was admitted to the bar in Nairobi in 2009."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.
Broadcasting She worked as an announcer and journalist at 98.4 Capital FM in NairobiLaura Walubengo, "98.4 Capital FM rocks 15 years on", 98.4 Capital FM, 9 September 2011. and for the Kenya Television Network.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. She won the 2008 CHAT Award for best Teen TV Anchor/Presenter."7th Chat Awards Slideshow" p. 12, Teenwise Media Group, 8 September 2009.
Church, politics and marriage In 2009 Arunga joined the Finger of God Church started by Joseph Hellon, a distant relative.Shirley Genga, "Hellon shares on life's ups and down", The Standard, 6 April 2013. 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.Charles Otieno, "Esther Arunga saga", The Standard, 19 February 2010. She has since said that her parents wanted to marry her to a politician in the government.Stevens Muendo, "Season 2 of Esther Arunga saga", The Standard, 6 July 2012, p. 2. 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."Esther Timberlake for Karachuonyo Constituency MP 2013" , 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. 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."Police arrest Arunga, Hellon", Daily Nation, 21 February 2010.Bernard Momanyi, "Esther Arunga and Joseph Hellon arrested". Capital, 22 February 2010. She and Timberlake both say they were isolated and tortured.Kenyan Daily Post, , Jambo News Spot, 14 July 2012, retrieved 13 August 2014. She announced lawsuits against her parents, psychiatrist Dr. Frank Njenga who allegedly forcefully aborted her baby under political orders,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" the Attorney General, and the Kenya Police for wrongful imprisonment and torture.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."Esther Arunga weds Quincy Timberlake", Capital, 4 March 2010. Arunga was released after two days and on 3 March 2010 married Quincy Timberlake while he was still in custody; however, she has since stated that Hellon performed the ceremony at another time."Esther Arunga and Quincy Timberlake" , reprinted from Pregnant Magazine, October 2010, at Kenyan Magazines, retrieved 16 August 2014.
Australia Feeling unsafe,David Odongo, "Arunga blames parents for a rocky start in marriage", The Nairobean, 24 January 2014. the Timberlakes left Kenya, and by way of Dubai went to Australia, where , she is a barrister at the New South Wales Supreme Court and has acquired citizenship.Stevens Muendo, "Season 2 of Esther Arunga saga", The Standard, 6 July 2012, p. 1. She has announced that she will run for office in Kenya,Stevens Muendo, "Season 2 of Esther Arunga saga", The Standard, 6 July 2012, p. 3. and that she would be accepting an offer from Al Jazeera to co-host a features show.
In June 2014, the elder of the couple's two sons died after an apparent accident at their home.Eugene Okumu, "Esther Arunga, Timberlake questioned over son's death in Australia" , The Star, 26 June 2014. In September of that year her husband was charged with the murder of the child, to which he subsequently pleaded not guilty in court.Kristian Silva, "Kenyan politician Quincy Timberlake denies murdering son at Kallangur", Brisbane Times, 3 September 2014. 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.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. She is reported to have changed her name to Chryslertte Provydence Timberlake.Australian Associated Press, "Kenyan TV presenter gave differing accounts of son's death, court told", The Guardian, 12 September 2014. In 2016 she was reported to have been working somewhere in Australia.Kwarula Otieno, "Finger Of God Pastor Quincy Timberlake Admitted To Mental Hospital After Assaulting Former TV Queen Esther Arunga", 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.
References