Charles Kipng’o The Baringo Deputy Governor who died at JKIA, Who is?

• Hon. Charles Kipngok was a corporate executive and a farmer who had a long working stint with KTDA.
• He rose through the ranks from a Junior Officer and was elected the Chairman of the Kenya Tea Growers Association which encompasses all the largest tea estate companies in Kenya.
• On August 25, 2022, he took the oath of office at the Kabarnet ASK Showgrounds as Baringo Deputy Governor.

Charles Kipng’ok died on September 14 at JKIA, Nairobi, as he prepared to board a KQ flight to Mombasa.

Kipng’ok was born and raised at Emom, Tenges Ward, in Baringo Central.

EDUCATION
Hon. Charles Kipngok attended Emom Primary School for his primary school education. He then enrolled at Tenges High School for his O-levels before proceeding to Kijabe High School for his A-Levels. Hailing  from a poor background, he was unable to raise school fees to further his education

He then became a UT teacher at Emom Primary School, a clerk at National Cereals and Produce Board, and later at Standard Chartered Bank where he worked as a teller for 2 years.

He then went ahead to receive a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and management from the University of Eastern Africa (Baraton), graduating in 1990.

CAREER
In 1991, Hon Charles Kipngok joined Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA) as a Management trainee, a parastatal agency that was established after independence to accelerate economic development and income growth for small-scale tea farmers.

He then rose through the ranks and within 2 years he was promoted to Manager, a position he served for 6 years before leaving to pursue other opportunities in the private sector.

Upon exiting the public sector, he joined Kiptagich and Kaisugu companies as a factory manager and was quickly promoted to become a visiting agent, where he ensured seamless coordination of activities within
the two factories and was later elevated to the position of General Manager.

While the General Manager, he oversaw the expansion of cutting-edge technology in the organization. A move that made it possible to achieve a leading role in the market, expand the company’s portfolio and meet the requests coming from the market.

Hon Charles Kipngok, was later awarded a Head of State Commendation (HSc.) by then President H.E. Mwai Kibaki for the good Sustainable Innovations he initiated in the tea sector.

He pioneered the introduction of different company products; Kaisugu Classic and Asis Premium products which were ranked among the best-selling tea brands in Kenya.

He was elected as the chairman of the Kenya Tea Growers Association, an association that comprises all the largest tea estate companies and other large-scale tea producers in Kenya.

He took part in advocating and promoting harmonious industrial relations in coordination with leading Workers’ Unions within the tea industry.

He was later promoted to be the CEO of Kiptagich and Kaisugu tea factories. Under his stewardship, he exhibited exemplary leadership in steering the companies to great economic breakthroughs.

His innovative spirit brought a turnaround in the company’s structure, culture, mindset, and also his firm focus on delivering superior customer service.

In April 2022, during nominations of the United Democratic Alliance party, Baringo Governor Benjamin Chebo picked him as his running mate where he played a key role in the campaign leading to their victory.

The Kipng’ok ticket received 137, 486 votes, with third-term Eldama Ravine MP Moses Lessonet getting 60, 879 votes as an independent candidate, and incumbent Kiptis garnering 17, 646 votes.

He took an oath of office on August 25, 2022, at the Kabarnet ASK Showgrounds during an event that was presided over by Justice Hillary Chemitei of Nakuru High Court.