Raila writes to EACC to recover Ruto’s ‘grabbed’ land in Taita Taveta County
Raila writes to EACC to recover a 2,500-acre farm of DP William Ruto’s ‘grabbed’ land in Taita Taveta County.
In the most recent escalation of the controversy at the center of Coast politics, Raila Odinga of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party now wants the ownership documents for Deputy President William Ruto’s 2,500-acre farm in Taita Taveta County suspended while the matter is being investigated.
Through Junet Mohamed, secretary general of Azimio, Raila requests that cabinet secretary Faridah Karoney maintain the status quo of the property’s title documents while a commission of inquiry is formed to look into the situation if Raila Odinga is elected president.
Raila writes to EACC to recover Ruto’s ‘grabbed’ land
“We write to you on the behalf of thousands of residents of Taita Taveta County regarding disputed land acquired by the Deputy President, Dr. Ruto, in Mata ward. Dr. Ruto has, by abusing the power entrusted to him by Kenyans in various state offices since 2005, appropriated to himself over 2,500 acres in Taita Taveta County and blocked off a key water canal, leading to dwindling water levels in Lake Jipe, which provides numerous locals with water and fish,” said Mr. Mohamed in the letter that is copied to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the National Land Commission and the Assets Recovery Agency.
Azimio says if Raila Odinga forms the next government, the land case will be investigated on how Ruto acquired the disputed land.
“The commission of inquiry shall be mandated, inter alia, to recommend whether the title documents issued in favour of Ruto should be canceled and whether ownership of the property should revert to the state to be held in trust and for the benefit of the people of Taita-Taveta County,” said the Azimio Secretary-General.
In April 2008, when Mr. Ruto was named Agriculture Minister in the Grand Coalition Government led by President Mwai Kibaki and Mr. Odinga, Ruto used his position to award himself the disputed land according to Junet Mohamed.
Mohamed added: “As a minister, the AFC was one of his dockets. Mr. Criticos approached Ruto for help and in exchange for his help, the Deputy President ended up with the 2,500-acre ‘gift’.”
Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho who was promised the lands docket by the former premier, Raila Odinga, added that there would be no need for investigations in taking over the piece of land.
“In Raila’s government, no investigations will be done, that land has been grabbed and it shall be returned to the rightful owners,” Joho said.
However, in a quicker reply, Ruto said records of the land he owns on the Coast are in the public domain.
He dared President Kenyatta— and by extension, the family of Kenya’s first president Jomo Kenyatta— and his other critics to produce evidence of land ownership at the Coast, as well as the total value of the land they own in the country.
“If you want us to talk about land issues, then I’m ready. You should bring out the receipts of the lands you own and reveal the people you bought them from, Ruto said on Wednesday, 20, July while campaigning in Taita-Taveta.
“I will come with my receipts showing who I bought from,” the DP said.
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