A fresh legal challenge has emerged for Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok after a court in Nakuru sentenced him and ten other county officials to one month in prison for contempt of court in a long-running labour dispute involving hundreds of county employees.
The ruling stems from a case that has been before the Employment and Labour Relations Court for several months. At the center of the dispute are 350 workers whose contracts were terminated by the Bomet County Government. The court had previously ruled that the employees should be reinstated, finding that the termination of their contracts was unlawful.
In March, the court directed the county administration to return the affected workers to their jobs. However, the court later determined that the orders had not been obeyed. As a result, Governor Barchok, County Secretary Simeon Mutai, and nine other county officials were found guilty of contempt of court.
The court ordered that the eleven officials serve a one-month sentence at Nakuru GK Prison unless they demonstrate compliance with the reinstatement directive.
The decision marks a significant development in the dispute, which has drawn attention from workers, labour groups, and political observers.
The sentencing generated widespread discussion online, with conflicting reports emerging about the governor’s status. Some social media posts claimed that he had been arrested and taken into custody immediately following the ruling.
Other reports suggested that he was continuing with his official duties despite the court’s decision.
Available information indicated that the governor was engaged in county activities on Thursday. Among the duties he reportedly carried out were inspections of ongoing road construction projects in Nyangores Ward within Chepalungu Sub-County. He also announced the start of installation works for milk processing equipment at the Chebunyo Dairies plant, a project expected to support dairy farmers in the area through the processing of long-life and fresh pasteurised milk.
The court ruling comes at a politically significant moment for the governor. Just a day earlier, Barchok had publicly declared his intention to contest the Bomet County Senate seat in the 2027 General Election under the banner of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The latest court setback adds to a series of legal challenges that have faced the governor in recent years. In 2025, he appeared before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court after presenting himself to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
He denied several charges brought against him, including allegations relating to conflict of interest, acquisition of proceeds of crime, and money laundering.
Following his court appearance, he was released on a cash bail of Ksh5 million after spending a night in police custody. The court also imposed strict conditions on him and his co-accused during the trial period.
These included restrictions against discussing the case publicly and orders barring them from contacting or interfering with prosecution witnesses, either directly or indirectly.
With the contempt ruling now in place, attention is likely to shift to whether the county administration will comply with the court’s reinstatement orders and how the decision could affect both the ongoing labour dispute and the governor’s future political ambitions.