In Kenya, it is often assumed that individuals from certain families cannot possibly experience petty financial problems. This narrative was put to question on July 27, 2016, when Collins Kibet Moi, a grandson of Kenya’s second President Moi, was charged with stealing two mobile phones worth Sh 10,000 each.
Collins, son of Jonathan Moi, was accused of stealing two phones during a dinner meeting at a Nakuru hotel on July 14, 2016. The total value of the phones was Sh 20,000, according to the prosecutor.”
Funny enough, one of the phones belonged to Collins’s own daughter, May Chelimo, while the other one belonged to May’s friend, Betty Chebet.
Responding to the theft charges, Collins denied the allegations before Nakuru Court’s Magistrate David Kemei, saying that he had only confiscated the two phones temporarily to encourage focus during the discussion, and that he later returned them to his daughter and the friend.
Ochang’ Ajigo, his lawyer, told the court that Collins had only acted in good faith as a cautious parent.
“Collins took the phones because he figured out that they would have been lost in the taxi they used afterwards” Ochang’ said.
To emphasize his stance, Ochang said that such allegations were absurd, stating that Collins was only a victim of ‘love gone bad’.
“As a jilted lover, it is possible that May’s mother influenced her to press charges against his father,” he rationalised.
After listening to both sides of the story, Magistrate Kemei instructed the parties to settle the issue out of court, since it came to his attention that this was a family issue.
Consequently, Collins was released on a Sh 20,000 bond and a similar surety amount. Surprisingly, on August 29, 2016, the theft charges were withdrawn by the court after the family resolved their internal wrangles.
Another legal battle
Apart from the above, Collins Kibet faced another legal battle in 2025 over child support issues. In July that year, the court ordered him to serve two weeks in jail. He was found guilty of failing to provide for his children’s welfare, including education, medical care, and entertainment.
Claims of a tough life
Despite being from the Moi family, Collins insists that he lives in abject poverty and homelessness.
In mid-2025, Kibet was evicted due to unpaid rent, which, along with other issues, led him into depression.
Collins Kibet continues to struggle in life, facing inheritance battles with other family members as he seeks a share of his father Jonathan Moi’s and grandfather’s estates.
