This archive report was first published on 16 July 2019.
Esther Arunga's story is a cautionary tale of ambition, faith, and the darker side of human nature. Born to a prominent family, Arunga rose to fame as a young and charismatic TV personality in Kenya.
Her career took off at Capital FM, where she clashed with a colleague, Pinky Ghelani, in a live on-air dispute that became an urban legend. Undeterred, Arunga moved to KTN, where she blossomed into a respected and popular news anchor.
However, in 2009, Arunga's life took a dramatic turn when she joined the Finger of God Church, founded by Joseph Hellon, a distant relative. She became engaged to Wilson Malaba, a church elder, but the engagement was called off in early 2010.
Arunga then moved into a church-owned mansion with Hellon, his wife, and other church members. In February 2010, she, Hellon, and Quincy Timberlake announced the formation of the PlaCenta Party and Hellon's candidacy for the presidency, with Arunga running for the Karachuonyo Constituency seat and deputy presidency.
On the same day, Arunga resigned from her job at KTN, and that night, she, Hellon, and others were arrested and charged with running an unregistered association. Computers and laptops were destroyed, documents confiscated, and vehicles impounded.
Arunga and Timberlake claimed they were isolated and tortured, and she later announced lawsuits against her parents, a psychiatrist, the Attorney General, and the Kenya Police for wrongful imprisonment and torture.
Released after two days, Arunga married Timberlake on March 3, 2010, while he was still in custody. However, she later stated that Hellon performed the ceremony at another time.
Arunga and her husband left Kenya and settled in Australia, where she became a registered barrister at the New South Wales Supreme Court and acquired Australian citizenship in 2012.
Tragedy struck in 2014 when their eldest son died after an alleged exorcism attempt by Timberlake. The couple was charged, with Arunga as an accessory, and granted bail.
She testified that the child died after her husband's 'healing techniques,' which included pressing down on the child's stomach and throwing him against a wall.
Arunga's story took another turn when she changed her name to Chryslertte Provydence Timberlake and began working as a storekeeper. Her last public appearance was in 2016, and since then, she has remained largely silent on social media.
