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PS escapes civil jail over Sh38 million pay bill

Thursday, December 15th, 2022 07:30 | By
Education Principal secretary Belio Kipsang. PHOTO/Courtesy

The High Court has given Education Principal Secretary (PS) Belio Kipsang until January 24, 2023 to pay an outstanding claim of Sh83 million owed to a construction firm.

Kipsang, who was found guilty of contempt of court over the payment, escaped the civil jail by a whisker after he was given a month by Justice Jairus Ngaah to finalise the payout to a construction firm known as NK Brothers Limited.

The construction firm, through its lawyer R. Billing Junior had moved to court seeking to have the PS jailed for three months for failing to comply with court orders requiring him to pay Sh83 million.

Kipsang was found guilty and convicted for disobeying orders requiring payment of Sh83 million to the construction firm.

“There is evidence that the judgment was endorsed with a penal notice warning the PS that he risked being held to be in contempt of court and subsequently punished for such contempt if he disobeyed the judgment,” said the judge.

While requesting to be given more time, the PS informed the court that he needed time to consult since he is about to hand over his office to a new PS.

The judge granted him upto January 24, 2023 to pay the amount and confirm to the court that he had complied with the orders.

Kipsang was warned that failure to pay the amount will result in his being jailed for a period of three months.

The Ministry of Regional Development had been compelled to pay the firm the money nine years ago but has failed to do so.

Kipsang had been summoned to explain why he should not be jailed over the ministry’s failure to pay the funds.

The Sh83 million arose from a disputed contract entered between the ministry and NK Brothers Ltd for the construction of the Lake Basin Development Authority headquarters complex and housing in Kisumu.

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