Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok and 10 senior county officials have been sentenced to 30 days in civil jail for contempt of court. The ruling was issued by the Kericho Employment and Labour Relations Court on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Lady Justice Anna Mwaure ruled that the governor and the officials will serve the sentence after failing to comply with previous court orders. The court said repeated attempts to secure compliance had failed.
Judge Cites Failure to Obey Court Orders
Justice Mwaure said the court had given the officials several opportunities to follow the orders. She noted that the continued failure to comply left the court with no option but to enforce the law.
“Since you have not been able to comply with the court orders, unfortunately, the law has to take its place,” the judge stated.
Senior County Officials Affected
The officials sentenced alongside Governor Barchok include County Secretary Simon Langat and County Executive Committee Member for Finance Milcah Rono.
Others include Public Service Board Chairperson Alexander Ngeno, Chief Executive Officer Emily Cheson, former human resources officer Eric Rono, and several board members.
The affected officials include David Tuei, Isaiah Biegon, Paul Kirui, Cecilia Getich, and Millicent Soi.
Court Maintains Contempt Ruling
Justice Mwaure convicted the governor and the officials for contempt of court. She ordered that they serve the one-month imprisonment term starting from June 18.
The ruling highlights the importance of compliance with court decisions by public officials. Failure to obey lawful court orders can result in legal consequences, including civil jail.
