The legal case of defilement against Reuben Kiborek, Member of Parliament (MP) for Mogotio Constituency, has taken an unexpected turn as the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) withdraws the charges.
This significant development occurred on Tuesday following the approval of the withdrawal application by Nakuru Chief Magistrate Bildad Ochieng’.
Reportedly, the core argument put forth by the prosecution in their application for withdrawal was the absence of witnesses willing to testify against the MP from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Kiborek had been facing the grave accusation of defiling a 16-year old in 2018. The MP’s legal ordeal began with his arrest shortly after the alleged incident in 2018.
Subsequently, he was formally charged in court on December 27 of the same year and was released on Ksh300,000 bail.
The decision to withdraw the case emerged as a culmination of a sequence of events, including a prior adjournment in January, which was necessitated by the transfer of the investigating officer handling the case.
At the time, the prosecution had informed the court that they were “not ready to proceed” due to the officer’s transfer, which had led to delays in the transfer of case materials to the incoming officer.
Kiborek’s legal counsel Gordon Ogolla also expressed deep concerns regarding the prolonged delays in the case.
Ogolla pointed out that since 2018, no witness had been presented to testify in court, highlighting the conspicuous absence of progress.
“It is embarrassing to see a file from 2018 on the cause list, so if the prosecution is not ready to proceed, they should withdraw the case,” he emphasized.
Kiborek, a first term legislator, secured the seat in the August 2022 polls under the banner of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
By Viola Chepkemoi
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