Bomet Governor Hillary Kipng’eno Barchok has been arrested by detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) right outside Integrity Centre in Nairobi where he had spent hours being interrogated.
The county boss, a close ally of the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party, was whisked away shortly after 5 p.m. and escorted under tight security to Kilimani Police Station, where he will spend the night in police custody. He is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday, September 2, to answer to multiple corruption charges.
The arrest follows a green light from the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) Renson Ingonga, who last week approved charges against the governor. The ODPP cited evidence linking him to conflict of interest, money laundering, unlawful acquisition of public property, and dealing in proceeds of crime.
Alleged Kickbacks
Investigators allege that between 2019/2020 and 2024/2025 financial years, Governor Barchok personally received at least Ksh2.75 million from companies doing business with the Bomet County Government.
A central figure in the case is Chemasus Construction Limited, whose director, Evans Kipkoech Korir, has also been named in the prosecution. The EACC accuses the two of colluding to siphon county resources through fraudulent procurement deals.
“The EACC recommended that Governor Hillary Kipng’eno Barchok and Evans Kipkoech Korir be arraigned in court for various offences under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act,” read a statement from the DPP’s office.
Legal Pushback
In anticipation of the arrest, Governor Barchok had filed an urgent petition at the High Court seeking to block his prosecution. He insisted the case was politically instigated and that the payments in question were legitimate lease agreements unrelated to his official role as governor.
But Justice Bahati Mwamuye declined to suspend the criminal proceedings, instead directing Barchok to serve his petition to the respondents. The judge set October 7 for mention of the matter and ordered that all responses be filed by September 19.
Wider Crackdown
Barchok’s arrest comes in the wake of a broader anti-graft sweep targeting high-profile politicians and county bosses. On the same day, former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati was arrested alongside 10 others after grilling at the EACC headquarters.
The group was later bundled into an EACC bus and transported to Kilimani Police Station, where they were processed and locked up pending arraignment.
Political Repercussions
The arrest of Governor Barchok, the second-term UDA governor of Bomet, is expected to send shockwaves through Rift Valley politics. His supporters are likely to rally behind him, framing the charges as a political witch-hunt, while critics argue the move underscores the government’s renewed commitment to fighting corruption at county level.
As the case unfolds in court, attention will now shift to whether the prosecution can prove its claims of procurement fraud and personal enrichment—or whether Barchok can successfully convince the public and the courts that he is a victim of political machinations.
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