Former Kenyan television news anchor Esther Adongo Arunga has officially dropped her marital surname. A public notice confirmed her decision to renounce the name Timberlake.
The legal change was executed through a deed poll dated 2nd October 2026. The document was registered in the Registry of Documents in Nairobi.
Her legal representatives, LAK Advocates, published the notice under Gazette Notice No. 16203. The notice confirms that she has "formally and absolutely renounced and abandoned the use of her former name Esther Adongo Timberlake and in lieu thereof assumed and adopted the name Esther Adongo Arunga, for all purposes.”
Rise to Fame in Broadcast Journalism
Esther Arunga was once a prominent television presenter in Kenya. She worked as a news anchor for KTN. In 2008, she won the CHAT Award for best Teen TV Anchor/Presenter.
He was arrested in Kenya and tortured over alleged illegal sect membership before charges were dropped. He subsequently left Kenya as an asylum seeker after his immigration visa application was denied.
Tragedy and Legal Proceedings in Australia
The couple later relocated to Kallangur, North Brisbane, Australia. In June 2014, their three-year-old son, Sinclair Timberlake, died at their home. Emergency response teams were called to the scene following the child's death.
During court proceedings, details of that night were presented. Quincy Timberlake was heard saying, "Devil is in the house.”
Crown Prosecutor Clayton Wallace told the court that Quincy was trying to "slap the devil out" of his son. Esther Arunga witnessed her husband striking the child in the stomach after leaving the shower. Quincy initially told emergency responders that the boy had fallen down the stairs.
Quincy Timberlake was initially charged with murder over the death of three-year-old Sinclair. He later pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and the prosecution withdrew the murder charge.
Supreme Court Justice Paul Freeburn sentenced Quincy Timberlake to 11 years in prison.
The judge noted that Quincy had already spent over nine years in pre-trial custody. This pre-trial period reduced his remaining time in custody to two years. Esther Arunga also faced legal consequences in Australia for lying to police about her husband's involvement to protect him.
