Kibor's wife: I don't see why he is divorcing me

Josphine Chepkoech, wife to a prominent businessman Jackson Kibor in an Eldoret Law Court yesterday.  PHOTOS BY PETER OCHIENG/STANDARD.

Prominent Uasin Gishu politician Jackson Kibor’s wife has denied deserting her husband and restricting his conjugal rights.

Kibor 82, moved to court on June 17, 2014 seeking to divorce his second wife, Josephine Jepkoech, after 51 years of marriage over alleged desertion and cruelty.

In his petition, Kibor says Jepkoech, with whom according to a marriage certificate approved under the Colony and Protectorate Law of Kenya he was united on February 27, 1965, was disrespectful and chased him from their Kipkabus Farm.

“Since the celebration of the marriage, the petitioner lived with the wife until November 2003 when the petitioner left the matrimonial home as a result of cruelty and in-hospitability by the respondent,” read part of the petition by Kibor.

In his petition, Kibor accused his wife of denying him conjugal rights and showing disinterest in their marriage, thereby leaving him in loneliness, mental anguish and psychological torture.

When he appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Charles Obulutsa on November 28, 2016, Kibor said his wife had shown utter disrespect for him, quarrelled and verbally assaulted him, rendering their marriage irretrievable.

LOVE AND RESPECT

But his wife begged to differ.

Jepkoech told the Eldoret Court that she could not recall differing with her husband, reiterating that they are still living together as husband and wife.

“I still love and respect my husband and it is unthinkable to try to chase the head of the family out of our home as he alleges, I was not even aware that he wants to divorce me on issues that we have not differed on,” said Jepkoech.

Jepkoech, 68, said she got married to Kibor in 1965 as a second wife and stayed with the first wife, the late Mary Kibor, helping her husband supervise activities at their Kipkabus home.

She added that Kibor left their Kipkabus home in 1975 when he married a third wife, Naomi Cheptoo, and moved in with her to another farm in Kabenes before moving to the Chepkoilel farm in 2003 where he lives with the fourth wife, Yunita Kibor.

“After marrying Naomi he left our home but I have never gone away because of any disagreement that’s why I don’t understand why he filed a divorce case, he stays with the youngest wife but we are close as a family and he attends to all events,” said Jepkoech.

Refering to a family photograph taken in Kipkabus in 2014 in which Mzee Kibor is seen embracing her and Naomi happily, Jepkoech humorously questioned if that picture portrayed any ill feelings between them.

“Does this (photo) represent the image of people who have utterly disagreed?” posed Jepkoech, sending the court attendants and Kibor into laughter.