Collins Kibet, grandson of the late former President Daniel Arap Moi, has been sentenced to jail for contempt of court after failing to comply with a court order mandating him to enrol his two children in school and take responsibility for their welfare.
The ruling follows a prolonged legal battle in which Kibet was found to have wilfully disobeyed previous court directives requiring him to ensure the education and general well-being of his children.
Despite repeated warnings and ongoing court proceedings, Kibet did not meet the obligations set forth by the judiciary.
The children’s mother, Gladys Jeruto Tagi, had raised concerns over their inability to attend school and Kibet’s failure to provide adequate financial support.
Tagi, through her lawyer Elizabeth Wangari, informed the court that the children’s education had been disrupted, causing significant emotional distress.
“Despite being located and brought to the police station, our attempts to reach an out-of-court settlement with him collapsed,” Wangari said during the hearing, accusing Kibet of neglecting his parental responsibilities.
This latest sentence comes nearly a year after Kibet was jailed for seven days in September 2024 for defying child support orders concerning the same children.
At that time, Nakuru Principal Magistrate Kipkurui Kibelion noted Kibet’s blatant disregard for the court’s directives regarding the upkeep and education of the minors.
Kibet was arrested in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County, following months of evasion and failure to honour court orders.
Kibet’s legal team argued that he was facing financial difficulties and embroiled in inheritance disputes over the estates of both his late father, Jonathan Moi, and grandfather, Daniel Moi.
His lawyer pleaded for leniency, stating that Kibet lacked a stable income and had not been formally served with summons or informed about the arrest warrant.
“Our client is not running away from responsibility but genuinely lacks the capacity to meet the high demands being made. He has no source of income, and the amount requested is allegedly in the millions,” his lawyer said.
Despite these pleas, the court held that the welfare of the children must remain paramount and that Kibet’s failure to comply with court orders warranted the contempt sentence.
The case highlights ongoing challenges surrounding parental responsibility and the enforcement of child support laws, especially among prominent families in Kenya.
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