Moi's grandson Collins Kibet sentenced to 7 days in jail for contempt of court

Collins Kibet, the grandson of former President Daniel Moi, has been sentenced to a seven-day jail term after failing to comply with a court order requiring him to support his two children.

Nakuru Principal Magistrate Kipkurui Kibelion handed down the ruling, directing that Kibet be held at Nakuru GK Prisons for disobeying the court's directive.

Kibet was produced before the court after spending a night in police custody following his arrest.

His ex-wife, Gladys Jeruto Tagi, had filed contempt of court proceedings in January 2024, accusing him of neglecting his financial responsibilities to their children. This followed a court ruling issued on June 2, 2022, which ordered Kibet to provide for the children's upkeep.

Collins Kibet Pulse Live Kenya

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Magistrate Kibelion ordered the lawyer representing Jeruto to calculate the outstanding amounts owed for child support and present them to Kibet's legal team within three days.

The court set a follow-up mention for September 26 to confirm compliance, stating, "I will mention this matter in seven days to confirm compliance. The court further issues a production order to the Nakuru GK Prison to produce the defendant in court on September 26."

Kibet’s legal troubles began after evading court appearances for seven months. During the hearing, Kibet, through his lawyer, defended himself, arguing that he was unaware of the court summons and the arrest warrant.

His lawyer claimed that Kibet's previous advocate had disappeared, leaving him uninformed of the legal proceedings.

Additionally, the lawyer revealed that Kibet was facing financial difficulties, making it impossible to fulfill his child support obligations.

Kibet’s lawyer also stated that his client was involved in a succession dispute over his late father Jonathan Toroitich’s estate, valued at Sh30 million, and his grandfather Daniel Moi's estate, worth over Sh300 billion.

Collins Kibet Pulse Live Kenya

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Jeruto’s lawyer, Elizabeth Wangari, countered Kibet’s arguments, stating that court records showed he had been duly served through his former advocate.

Wangari highlighted that Kibet had failed to provide any evidence of compliance with the court's previous orders, which required him to cover his children's education, medical needs, and other essential expenses.

The court also heard that Kibet’s children had suffered from his non-compliance, with the first-born child missing school for the majority of the academic year due to unpaid fees.

Wangari urged the court to impose a jail sentence on Kibet for his deliberate disregard of the court’s authority.

Collins Kibet appearing at the Nakuru Law Courts Pulse Live Kenya

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In his ruling, Magistrate Kibelion noted that Kibet had not presented any evidence to suggest he had made efforts to comply with the court's orders or filed an appeal against the ruling.