[1] Franklin Kipng’etich Bett, also known as Chepkooit to his supporters, was born on 23 March 1953 in Kiptiriri Village, Cheborge, in the larger Kericho District.

After graduation, Bett went back home where he founded Tebesonik Secondary School and served briefly as its first head teacher before joining the University of Nairobi to pursue an undergraduate degree in commerce (accounting).

Employers before the then president Daniel arap Moi recalled him back to government and assigned him the Supplies Branch of the Ministry of Roads and Public Works.

When LDP joined hands with the Mwai Kibaki-led NAK to form NARC, Bett was entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating its activities in the South Rift.

In spite of the fact that South Rift had been a KANU bastion for the four decades since independence, Bett's team was able to claw back substantial ground for NARC.

The NARC government nominated him as a member of parliament in 2003 and was subsequently elected to chair the Parliamentary Select Committee on Agriculture, Land and Natural Resources.

From his contributions on the floor of the House, he was able to nudge the government into putting up a pineapple processing plant in Roret and the Tiriitab-Moita-based Bureti Technical Institute, both projects are still underway.