The Standard, Kenya
April 15 2007

Kenyans react to Artur Margaryan and Wangui’s escapade

By Sunday Standard Team

There were varied reactions to a story and pictures capturing Artur
Margaryan and Ms Winnie Wangui Mwai flirting in Colombo, Sri-Lanka.

Most of those who gave their views in various towns were concerned
that Margaryan was operating from Colombo, known to be a key drug
trafficking city, which could point to his real motive in Kenya.

"Many Sri-Lankan nationals have been arrested on drug trafficking
charges at our airport and that should be the concern. I think we now
know what he was doing here," Dr George Maina from Nairobi said.

The reactions followed the exclusively published pictures in The
Saturday Standard, on Saturday showing Margaryan and his
self-confessed lover Winnie Wangui Mwai that were taken at Hilton
Hotel, Colombo.

Wangui recently told a local radio station that she would soon tie
the knot with Margaryan, which he confirmed on phone the same day.

Investigations by Interpol on Margaryan last year revealed that he
was a fugitive from Yerevan, Armenia.

Ms Mary Nyaguthi, a university student, said Kenyan women should
avoid dealing with shady characters like Margaryan. "Many Kenyan
women have either died in western cities or served long prison terms
for drug related cases after their links with `strange’ men, so they
should be careful," she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by Mr George Ouma Adhola, a father of four
who was also concerned by Margaryan’s recent admission that he had
been hired to eliminate certain politicians.

"The Government must act on criminals otherwise we will be
blacklisted by progressive countries around the world," he said.

In Nakuru, Mr Philip Malonza, a councillor, said Margaryan should not
be allowed to marry Wangui at all.

"Wangui is not right to court someone who has been declared a persona
non grata," he said.

Mr Njuguna Mwangi, a curio dealer in Nakuru, said there was no
problem if Winnie got married to Artur Margaryan. "We should respect
the desires of their hearts," he said.

Mr Stephen Maina, said Winnie should be allowed to marry the love of
her life.

"The law does not bar her from getting married to Margaryan even if
we have our own perceptions about him," he said.

A Kisumu radio presenter, Ms Bernadette Nafula, said: "Let the two
lovebirds be left alone. Artur may atone for his bad image among
Kenyans if he marries Winnie," she said.

Ms Phoebe Awuor, a university student in Kisumu, said: "The wedding
should be put on hold until all suspicions surrounding the origin and
the mission of the two foreigners are dealt with."

A hawker in the same area, Mr Sam Owino, had a different opinion.

"It amounts to betrayal of all of us by a Kenyan woman to even think
of being associated with a man whose mission to Kenya still remains a
mystery," he said.