A court in Eldoret has exonerated former West Pokot Governor Prof. John Lonyangapuo and seven others over the purchase of 5,000 bags of maize for drought-stricken residents nearly a decade ago.

Delivering the ruling, Principal Magistrate Richard Odenyo found that the maize procurement process had been carried out appropriately and did not breach any laws.

He noted that no public funds were lost in the transaction, which had been flagged for allegedly bypassing standard procurement procedures.

Prof. Lonyangapuo, alongside former county officials Mike Parklea, Solomon Mereng, Alice Chepkosgei, Joseph Lolamtumtum, Elvis Mwanga, Titus Mayech, and businesswoman Margaret Tuitoek, had faced charges over the direct acquisition of maize worth Ksh.18 million.

Testifying earlier in court, Lonyangapuo defended the move, saying it was a response to an urgent food crisis in the county. He told the court that after a Cabinet meeting, the county opted to source the maize directly from Trans Nzoia County in order to deliver relief supplies without delay.

“I couldn’t sit back and watch my people starve because of bureaucratic delays. The situation called for immediate action,” Lonyangapuo told the court during cross-examination.

The court concluded that the decision, though unconventional, was justified by the circumstances at the time. The acquittal brings an end to a case that has hovered over the former governor and his co-accused for the last eight years.