Governor Hillary Barchok Released, But Ordered Not To Do The Following
He pleaded not guilty to corruption-related charges before the Milimani Anti-Graft Court, where Magistrate Zipporah Gichana set his bail at either a Ksh15 million bond or Ksh5 million in cash.
Marvin Chege 
Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok, on Tuesday, September 2, secured a reprieve after being freed on a Ksh5 million cash bail under strict conditions, following a night in custody at Kilimani Police Station.
He pleaded not guilty to corruption-related charges before the Milimani Anti-Graft Court, where Magistrate Zipporah Gichana set his bail at either a Ksh15 million bond or Ksh5 million in cash.
While noting that the prosecution had not objected to his release, the magistrate stressed that the gravity of the charges against the governor justified stringent bail terms.
Bomet governor Hillary Barchok and his legal team at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. /ODPP
“The accused persons are directed not to contact or interfere with prosecution witnesses either directly or through proxies,” the magistrate ordered.
Barchok is facing seven criminal charges, including conflict of interest and money laundering, tied to alleged irregular payments linked to county government contracts.
According to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Barchok unlawfully gained an indirect private interest between November 14, 2019, and March 10, 2021.
The case involves payments linked to contracts awarded by the Bomet County Government to a construction company allegedly associated with him.
The governor also faces four counts of handling proceeds of crime, with prosecutors claiming he transferred Ksh300,000, Ksh314,000, Ksh100,000, and Ksh750,000 from his account to another between March 15 and March 21.
Several co-accused individuals were granted bail under the same conditions—a Ksh5 million bond or a Ksh2 million cash bail.
Magistrate Zipporah Gichana further ordered all accused persons to surrender their passports within seven days and barred them from leaving the country without court consent. They were also prohibited from making public comments on the case during the trial.
Barchok’s lawyer, Issa Mansur, had pushed for more lenient bail terms, arguing the governor had cooperated fully with investigators and posed no flight risk.
In a related case, former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati was also released on Tuesday by the Milimani Anti-Graft Court, granted a Ksh5 million bond or an alternative cash bail of Ksh1.5 million on separate corruption charges.
Former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati and 10 others arraigned at Milimani Law Courts on September 2, 2025. /VIRAL TEA KE
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