Jackson Kibor disowns letters written to second wife

Prominent farmer Jackson Kibor with advocate Amos Magut photo:courtesy

Controversial Uasin Gishu farmer Jackson Kibor has disowned letters allegedly written to his second wife, Josephine Jepkoech, in an ongoing divorce case.

Kibor, 83, moved to court in 2014 seeking divorce from Jepkoech, 69, who he married 52 years ago. He accuses her of cruelty, desertion and denial of conjugal rights.

During cross-examination, Kibor disowned two letters dated June 27, 1988, and February 2, 1992, directing Jepkoech to release some wheat and cattle to a client.

“Upatie Masai Ng’ombe kumi na zifike arobaini na umpatie ndama ikuwe arobaini na moja , akuje achukue siku yoyote. (Give Masai 10 cattle to add up to 40 and also another calf to bring the count to 41, he can take them any day he wants)” read one of the letters.

The prominent farmer however denied writing the letters stating that he usually went personally to all his farm houses whenever he wanted to pass any information or conduct any transaction.

Not an expert

“I never wrote such a letter. It does not indicate where it was written from and doesn’t have an envelope,” he said

When asked by Lawyer Amos Magut, for Jepkoech, to compare signatures on the letters presented in court and the one he had appended in his divorce application, the farmer retorted: “You are not an expert to determine the authenticity of the signatures in the letters you allege I wrote and the ones filed in court.”

Kibor sent the Court into stitches during cross-examination when he said it was illogical for a man with one wife to question how a man with four wives makes decisions in his family.

“How many wives do you have in the first place? It is illogical for a man with one wife to question how a man with four makes decisions in his family,” said Kibor.

He said he was seeking to divorce his wife since they had differed and had been living apart since 2003.

“I want this divorce because we differed with my wife and have been apart since 2003, she even traveled to Canada to visit some of our children without my permission, leaving the farm in disarray,” said Kibor.

Jepkoech had told the Court that there was no genuine reason for her husband to file a divorce against her since their marriage was blissful.

“I still love my husband, I was not even aware that he had filed a divorce case against me,” she said.

Kibor’s Lawyer Mark Waziri, asked the court to expedite the conclusion of the case, accusing Jepkoech of applying delay tactics by skipping set court dates. 

The Magistrate rescheduled the matter to June 28, stating that it was the last adjournment he was making.