Deputy President finally hands over land to IDP

By Edwin Cheserek

Kenya: Deputy President William Ruto has surrendered land that was at the centre of a protracted court battle pitting him and a displaced person.

Ruto and the IDP, Adrian Muteshi, had been embroiled in a legal battle over the ownership of a 100-acre land in Turbo, Uasin Gishu.

However, the High Court in its ruling ordered Ruto to hand over the land to Muteshi, who had sued him for grabbing it at the height of the post-election violence.

Justice Rose Ougo ordered Ruto to vacate the farm and further pay the IDP compensation of Sh5 million.

Following the ruling that was delivered in June, Ruto through his advocates wrote to Muteshi asking him to suggest an appropriate date for the handover of the property.

Thursday, Ruto and Muteshi, however, did not turn up for the handing over but sent their representatives to oversee the exercise presided over by police officers from Turbo Police Station.

Hand over

Ruto was represented by his personal assistants Isaac Maiyo and Abraham Keittany, while Mumo Mwendwa and Alphonse Isaiah appeared on behalf of Muteshi, who was said to be unwell.

Earlier, the exercise was marred by a standoff after police refused to effect the transfer of the land claiming that they had not been given the court order.

This was despite the presence of Ruto and Muteshi’s representatives who arrived at Riverside Police Station to see the OCS, who had been instructed by the court to supervise the handover of the land.

Mr Mumo, who is Muteshi’s son- in-law, showed a soft copy of the judgment in a laptop but the officers said they could not authenticate it.

It took the intervention of the area OCPD Ndung’u wa Ikonya, who telephoned and directed the OCS to print the document in the laptop to be signed by both representatives after the handover ceremony was completed.

At the farm, Maiyo said he was sent by Ruto to ensure he complies with the court order by handing over the property to Muteshi.