Deputy president’s top aide silent despite being linked to NYS scam
What you need to know:
But even in his silence, Mr Kibet remained a person of interest, just as he has since he first tried his hands in the fiery field of political fixing.
Playfully known as ‘Teigut’ among his close political friends, he came to political limelight after the Jubilee coalition took over power.
Many Rift Valley politicians have to go through him to access the DP, making him one of the most powerful individuals around the DP.
Deputy President William Ruto’s personal assistant Farouk Kibet on Wednesday remained mum over allegations that he tried to influence controversial payments for fishy deals worth millions of shillings at NYS.
But even in his silence, Mr Kibet remained a person of interest, just as he has since he first tried his hands in the fiery field of political fixing.
Playfully known as ‘Teigut’ among his close political friends, he came to political limelight after the Jubilee coalition took over power.
He was not a novice though, for he had honed his political skills during the Kanu era, where he served as a party activist in Eldoret North Constituency, then represented in Parliament by Mr William Morogo Saina, now deceased.
Today he is a top-level member of Mr William Ruto’s inner circle and is believed to be among those who influence key decisions made by the DP.
Despite holding such a powerful position, details of his academic credentials are scanty.
The two forged a strong union in 1997, when Mr Ruto announced that he would be vying for the Eldoret constituency parliamentary seat against the late Reuben Chesire.
Mr Ruto clinched the seat, and many believe that Mr Kibet played a vital role in the electioneering. Soon after, he became Mr Ruto’s right-hand man.
NORTH RIFT SKIRMISHES
The opportune moment for Mr Kibet, who is in his mid-40s, to make good use of his political connections came during the 2007 General Election campaigns, when he was nominated as a councillor in the now defunct Wareng County Council.
It is during this time that the man from Chepsaita — a small settlement at the border of Nandi and Kakamega counties — established a network with the who-is-who in the corporate and political worlds.
He maintained close ties with his political mentor, Mr Ruto, who was the then Agriculture minister before he was moved to the Higher Education docket.
After the post-election violence, Mr Kibet was among several people arrested but later released over the skirmishes that rocked the North Rift, and Eldoret in particular.
Many Rift Valley politicians have to go through him to access the DP, making him one of the most powerful individuals around the DP.
His political star was at its peak when Mr Ruto’s URP and Uhuru Kenyatta’s The National Alliance (TNA) teamed up in the run-up to the 2013 elections.
Those who know the details of Mr Kibet and the DP’s relationship describe them as close friends. He is known as the custodian of every detail, both private and public, of the DP.
Mr Kibet, who is said to be harbouring political ambitions, has been instrumental in hosting a series of fundraisers in his backyard as he manoeuvers to clinch a parliamentary seat, widely believed to be Turbo.
By going the philanthropy way, Mr Kibet is following in his boss’s footsteps, sponsoring several needy children to school and actively participating in big fundraisers in Uasin Gishu.
