A court in Eldoret has sentenced Albert Kibor, a son of the late prominent farmer and politician Jackson Kibor, to three years in prison after finding him guilty of assault.
The sentence was delivered by Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ireri, who ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court ordered Albert to serve the jail term without the option of paying a fine.
According to the charge sheet, the incident occurred on March 8 last year at Kibor Building in Eldoret, within Turbo Sub-County in Uasin Gishu County. Albert was accused of jointly assaulting Faith Jemutai, the sister of Eunita Kibor, the younger wife of the late Jackson Kibor.
Prosecutors told the court that the assault caused Jemutai actual bodily harm.
During the trial, Albert pleaded with the court for leniency, stating that he had never been involved in criminal activity before and had family responsibilities, including a sick mother.
“Your honour, this is the first time I am accused because I am always a peaceful person. I plead for forgiveness from the court,” he told the magistrate.
However, the court ruled that the offence was serious. Magistrate Ireri noted that the prosecution had presented six witnesses whose testimony supported the case against him.
The assault incident was linked to an ongoing succession dispute over the late Jackson Kibor’s vast estate, estimated to be worth more than Sh6 billion. The family has been locked in a bitter battle over the property following the patriarch’s death.
Evidence presented in court showed that tensions escalated on the day of the incident when Albert allegedly attempted to evict tenants from the Kibor Building, accusing them of paying rent to Eunita Kibor despite an existing court order.
Jemutai, who worked as a caretaker at the property, testified that she was violently attacked during the confrontation.
“They hit me several times and dragged me on the floor violently. They even uprooted my braids, causing me serious pain,” she told the court.
As part of her evidence, she presented the uprooted braids and a torn jacket, which she said resulted from the assault.
Jemutai further told the court that Albert wanted to evict her and other tenants even though she had done nothing wrong.
Albert, however, denied the allegations throughout the trial, claiming that the accusations were fabricated and exaggerated in an attempt to frame him.
At one point during the proceedings, the court directed both parties to attempt mediation in an effort to resolve the matter out of court. However, the talks collapsed after the two sides failed to reach an agreement, forcing the case to proceed to a full hearing.
Following the sentencing, Albert told journalists that his legal team intends to challenge the decision in a higher court through an appeal.
