Collins Kibet appears before a Nakuru court on September 19, 2024.
Risking another civil jail term barely two months after a week-long imprisonment for disobeying court orders to support his children, Collins Kibet now blames family ties for his woes.
The grandson of late President Daniel Moi is now pleading with the court to overlook his family’s prominence when issuing decisions in the case.
Mr Kibet, who has been issued with a notice to show cause why he should not be punished for contempt of court, appealed to the court to treat him like a "normal" person.
He has asked the court to look at him without considering the Moi surname, which, according to him, has not helped with overcoming his current predicament.
“I beseech this court to treat me as Collins Kibet Toroitich and not to assign me the perception of the big celebrity family that I come from,” he said Thursday.
In his response to the contempt application filed against him by ex-wife Gladys Jeruto Tagi, Mr Kibet claimed to be a pauper who survives through the help of well-wishers and friends.
He also claims to have no shares, property or businesses to depend on.
Mental illness, unsuccessful job search
The court heard that the challenges Mr Kibet has experienced have caused him mental illness, which led to his admission at Chiromo, a mental care facility, where he still is and on medication.
He told the court that he is also homeless after he was evicted from his house in 2022 after failing to pay rent for up to six months.
He claims to have looked for a job in vain, as no one is takes him seriously on employment matters since they assume he is rich.
He also noted that he unsuccessfully tried to get his share of his father's and grandfather's wealth to settle the accruing debt. This, he said, would have helped him settle the medical care bills for his children, as well as other expenses.
“In light of the foregoing, it is evident I am financially and mentally incapable of providing for my own children,” stated Mr Kibet.
Disobeying court orders
The Moi scion is accused of disobeying orders issued in 2022, where he was directed to meet part of his children's expenses including school fees, medical and entertainment.
The court, upon issuing several summons requiring him to appear, issued a warrant of arrest after which he was sentenced to serve seven days in jail.
However, the court reversed the orders on September 26 after it emerged that Mr Kibet had indeed not been served with the summons to appear before court.
When the case was mentioned on October 31, Ms Tagi’s lawyer told the court that Mr Kibet’s lawyer had reached out to her requesting a meeting in a bid to have the matter settled out of court.
Nevertheless, when the matter was mentioned on Thursday, it emerged that the meeting did not happen. Ms Tagi’s lawyer termed his actions as delay tactics so as to evade compliance as he had not shown any signs of paying.
In his ruling, Principal magistrate Kipkuru Kibellion issued a show cause order against Mr Kibet, who will be expected to appear before court on November 23.
