DP William Ruto’s top land scandals, full list
DP Ruto has graduated into another level, the epicenter of widely publicized land scandals.
Top in the list involves prime land in urban areas or profitable vast farms upcountry.
Below is a full list of DP Ruto’s infamous land scandals likely to threaten his political career:
Weston Hotel-KCAA land tussle
In January 2019, DP Ruto was taken to task by the National Land Commission which established that the DP’s Weston Hotel is built on public land.
A recommendation compelling DP Ruto to pay Kenyans for the 0.773ha plot near Wilson Airport at the current market price was given.
In February 2019, he acknowledged that the plot was acquired illegally by original owners who sold the land to him.
The land which belongs to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority was valued at Kshs 300 million in 2018.
900-acre Murumbi land
Late 2019, a human right lobby group raised eyebrows into the acquisition of a 900-acre land once owned by former vice president Joseph Murumbi in Trans Mara West sub-county in 2015.
The lobby claimed that the DP probably used corrupt means to acquire the land after paying off a loan owed by the late Murumbi to the Agricultural Finance Corporation, AFC.
Uasin Gishu: IDP’s 100-acre parcel
In June 2013, DP Ruto was directed to pay Kshs 5 million compensation to a 2007/2008 post-election violence victim for illegally snatching his land.
The victim, Adrian Muteshi, in his statement accused DP Ruto of planning to grab his land after he fled following the eruption of post-election chaos.
He managed to convince the court beyond any reasonable doubt that he was the owner of the contested land.
In his defense, DP Ruto said that he was an innocent buyer who had fallen for greedy individuals who posed as owners of the lands to exploit him.
In 2012, he had offered to vacate the 100-1cre parcel in an out of court settlement.
Resort encroaching on a public beach in Shanzu, Mombasa County
In August 2018, DP Ruto’s Weston Hotels Ltd was linked to yet another land grabbing saga after details linking it to a rather controversial hotel encroaching on a public beach in Shanzu dubbed Dolphin Hotel emerged.
Upon investigation, it emerged that Dolphins Hotel was being constructed on sea land. Consequently, two journalists who acted as whistle-blowers were arrested and ruffled up for being “too mouthy.”
Ngong Forest land corruption case
This is the greatest land saga involving DP Ruto. In 2001, he allegedly got himself involved in the illegal sale of Ngong Forest, a scandal that saw him arrested and locked up in April 2004.
He was later charged with defrauding the Kenya Pipeline Company through the sale of the parcel which was then valued at 272 million.
