Kericho Governor Eric Mutai is facing a court case after a fourth-year university student filed a petition seeking Sh200,000 monthly support for a one-year-old child she says he fathered.
Maureen Chepkirui, a student at the University of Kabianga, claims she was in a relationship with Mutai in 2024 and that the relationship resulted in the birth of a child in July of the same year. In court documents, she says she has been responsible for the child’s care since birth and has not received meaningful financial support from the governor.
Chepkirui is asking the court to order Mutai to contribute Sh200,000 every month towards the child’s upkeep. She is also seeking a comprehensive medical cover for the child and other orders connected to the child’s welfare.
The student further claims that she has been unable to complete the child’s birth registration because Mutai has not provided a copy of his national identity card.
According to her court papers, this has made it difficult for her to obtain the documents needed to secure the child’s birth certificate.
She says her financial situation has also made the responsibility more difficult. As a student without a source of income, Chepkirui claims she has depended on relatives for basic needs, including food, shelter and medical expenses for herself and the child.
She says the situation eventually forced her to leave Kericho and stay with her sister in Nakuru.
The case comes after efforts to resolve the matter outside court reportedly failed.
According to the documents, Mutai reached out after receiving a demand letter and offered to pay Sh25,000 every month towards the child’s maintenance.
Chepkirui rejected the amount, arguing that it would not adequately meet the child’s needs.
Her lawyers then prepared a parental responsibility-sharing agreement and sent it to the governor’s lawyers. However, the dispute later moved to court after Mutai filed a separate case in a Nakuru magistrate’s court, where he accused Chepkirui of denying him access to the child and failing to disclose the child’s whereabouts.
Chepkirui has disputed that account. She claims Mutai has not made meaningful efforts to see the child or obtain information about the child’s welfare since birth. She also says that on one occasion she took the child to the governor’s residence while seeking support, but alleges that he refused to see or hold the child.
The court case therefore involves more than the financial request.
The parties are also expected to address questions concerning parental responsibility, access to the child and the documentation required for the child’s birth registration.
The court has not determined the paternity claim or ruled that Mutai owes the amount being sought. Chepkirui’s claims remain matters to be determined through the legal process, while the governor has the opportunity to respond to the allegations and present his position before the court.
In a ruling delivered on September 14, the court directed that the matter be served on Mutai before it is mentioned on September 28.
The case has attracted attention because of Mutai’s position as the elected governor of Kericho County.
For Chepkirui, the case is about securing financial support and other assistance for the child she says she has been raising largely on her own.
Add Comment