Former Kenyan television news anchor Esther Arunga has officially dropped the surname “Timberlake,” which she adopted following her 2010 marriage to Quincy Timberlake. She has reverted to her original name, Esther Adongo Arunga.

According to a notice published in the Kenya Gazette on Friday, October 9, 2026, Arunga formally renounced her married name and readopted Esther Adongo Arunga for all legal and official purposes.

The deed poll, dated October 2, 2026, was registered at the Registry of Documents in Nairobi under Gazette Notice No. 16203.

The official notice states that Arunga, previously known as Esther Adongo Timberlake, has “formally and absolutely renounced and abandoned” the surname.

“That I, Esther Adongo Arunga…..formerly known as Esther Adongo Timberlake, have formally and absolutely renounced and abandoned the use of my former name Esther Adongo Timberlake and in lieu thereof assumed and adopted the name Esther Adongo Arunga, for all purposes,” the notice reads.

A Promising Career in Media and Law

Before her life took a drastic turn in 2010, Arunga stood out as one of Kenya’s most popular television personalities. During the late 2000s, she worked as a journalist and news presenter for Capital FM and the Kenya Television Network (KTN). In 2008, she won the Chaguo la Teeniez (CHAT) Award for Best Teen TV Anchor/Presenter.

Parallel to her broadcast career, Arunga pursued legal studies. She earned degrees from the University of Wollongong in Australia, completed her practical training at the Kenya School of Law, and gained admission to the Kenyan bar in 2009.

Controversey, Marriage, and Relocation

Arunga’s public image shifted dramatically between 2009 and 2010 due to her involvement with the Finger of God Church, led by jazz musician Joseph Hellon. Alongside Hellon and Quincy Timberlake, she helped launch a political outfit known as the PlaCenta Party.

Amid growing public controversy, Arunga resigned from KTN. Police subsequently raided a home linked to the group in Nairobi’s Runda neighborhood, arresting Arunga before releasing her without charges. She later filed lawsuits against her parents, law enforcement, and several media outlets, alleging violations of her constitutional rights.

In March 2010, Arunga publicly announced her marriage to Timberlake and officially adopted his surname. Shortly thereafter, the couple left Kenya and relocated to Australia.

Tragedy and Legal Troubles in Australia

Tragedy struck the family in June 2014 when their three-year-old son, Sinclair, died at their Australian home under circumstances that prompted a murder investigation by local authorities.

In 2019, Arunga pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to manslaughter in connection with her son’s death. An Australian court sentenced her to 10 months in prison, releasing her immediately on parole.

Quincy Timberlake later pleaded guilty to manslaughter after prosecutors dropped a murder charge against him. In 2023, an Australian court sentenced him to 11 years in prison.