(Nakuru) – Collins Kibet, the grandson of the late President Daniel arap Moi, skipped yet another court session, leaving his family, lawyer, and even the court baffled – and now, he might be facing arrest over his child neglect case.
Collins Kibet, the grandson of Kenya’s former President Daniel arap Moi, has gone missing again, despite the looming threat of jail. This time, he is dodging a child neglect case that has already seen him being slapped with a Sh1 million ($6,800 USD) bond and a contempt of court charge.
On Thursday, Kibet was supposed to show up in court, but instead, he decided to pull the Kenyan equivalent of a “ng’ombe kwa shingo”, or in plain terms, a “no show.” After three hours of waiting, his legal team finally had to throw in the towel. They were left scratching their heads, wondering if he was lost in the same mysterious place as your uncle’s old car that no one has seen since 1995.
Kibet’s disappearance came just a day after he briefly made an appearance at a virtual meeting aimed at solving his ongoing drama with his ex-wife, Gladys Jeruto Tagi. But true to form, Kibet vanished again before any real business could take place.
According to Kibet’s lawyer, Andrew Muge, the two parties had arranged a meeting for 2 pm on Wednesday. Kibet was reportedly in touch with Muge, requesting the meeting. But come 2:30 pm? Crickets. Despite multiple attempts to reach him, Kibet’s phone went straight to voicemail. His absence was so complete, you would think he had taken a one way flight to Mars.
After waiting for hours – likely counting the seconds like the infamous Kenyan matatu conductor waiting for one last fare – the legal team had no choice but to pack up and call it quits. Kibet’s whereabouts remain unknown, and the court had no choice but to roll their eyes and adjourn the case for a week.
Ms. Tagi’s lawyer, Elizabeth Wangare, however wasn’t buying Kibet’s act. She accused him of deliberately wasting the court’s time, calling it a “tactic to delay the case.” Wangare, who must have been a patient person by now, made the bold move to urge the court to reinstate the arrest warrant. In her view, Kibet only listens when the court pulls out the big guns—“arrest warrant”.
Kibet’s lawyer, however, made a last ditch attempt to play the sympathy card, suggesting something may have happened to Kibet, like a “mshwari” moment – you know, when you lose your phone, lose your wallet, and lose your will to deal with the consequences all in one day. He even mentioned how Kibet was the one who had asked for the meeting in the first place, so clearly, he meant to settle things. Right.
But the Nakuru Principal Magistrate, Kipkurui Kibelion, wasn’t buying any of it. He warned that if Kibet didn’t show up in court next week, a warrant of arrest would be issued. Looks like Kibet might have to add “missing” to his already growing list of charges.
To add to the drama, Kibet is still dodging his child support payments. He has repeatedly told the court that he’s broke, claiming he survives on the generosity of friends and well wishers – sounds like the typical “ama at least I’m trying” story. Despite the “watu wangu” (my people) support, Kibet has still failed to comply with a court ruling from June 2022, which ordered him to contribute to the upkeep of his children.
This isn’t the first time Kibet has played this disappearing act. In September, he was briefly jailed for contempt of court before he was granted a KSh 1 million bond. But no worries, Kibet still insists he’s broke, and no one is believing it. Maybe he needs a “shughuli ya watu wetu” (a fundraiser) to get things in order.
| Court Session Details | Date | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Meeting | November 20, 2024 | Kibet was unreachable, meeting canceled after 3 hours of waiting. |
| Previous Court Ruling | June 24, 2022 | Kibet ordered to pay child support, has yet to comply. |
| Latest Court Order | November 21, 2024 | Kibet warned to appear by November 27, or arrest warrant will be issued. |
| Personal Bond | September 2024 | Kibet granted Sh1 million ($6,800) bond after jail sentence lifted. |