The High Court has ordered former Nairobi County Finance County Executive Committee Member (CECM) Charles Kerich to surrender to prison within three days and begin serving a three-month jail sentence after declining to suspend his conviction for contempt of court.
Kerich had asked the court to stay the sentence pending the hearing of fresh applications filed by his new legal team.
Through his lawyers, he argued that he is a law-abiding citizen, had never absconded court proceedings, and would remain available whenever required. His lawyers also informed the court that Kerich ceased serving as the Nairobi County Finance CECM on June 5, 2026, and had since filed an application seeking to purge the contempt and challenge the earlier findings.
However, the judge held that the first issue before the court was to regularize the applications filed by the new legal team before considering their merits. The court observed that it was well acquainted with the matter, having handled the case from the beginning.
While directing that the applications be heard on July 29, 2026, the court declined to suspend the custodial sentence in the meantime. The judge ordered Kerich to surrender to the relevant authorities within three days for committal to Industrial Area Prison to serve the three-month sentence. The court further warned that if he fails to surrender within the stipulated period, police should immediately arrest him and treat him as a fugitive from justice.
The contempt proceedings stem from Kerich’s failure to comply with previous court orders, which led to his conviction and sentencing for contempt of court.
