Ruto hatched plot to grab 100-acre land, court told

Lawyer Anthony Lubulellah (left) and Mr Adrian Gilbert Muteshi at the High Court in Nairobi on Tuesday February 19, 2013. Mr Muteshi accuses Mr Ruto of grabbing his land. Photo/PAUL WAWERU

What you need to know:

  • Lawyer says the then Cabinet minister and two people planned takeover of clashes victim’s farm

A judge was on Tuesday told that Mr William Ruto met two people in his office and hatched a plot to grab land belonging to a post-election violence victim.

Mr Gilbert Adrian Muteshi alleges that Mr Ruto grabbed his 100-acre farm in Eldoret North after he fled the 2008 post-election violence.

His lawyer, Mr Anthony Lubulellah, said that Mr Ruto, who was Agriculture minister, paid the two Sh600,000 to execute the plan.

The lawyer was cross-examining Mr Ruto’s witness, Mr Hosea Ruto, who said he and the politician were childhood friends.

Mr Lubulellah said Mr Ruto met Mr Bethuel Kipsang and Mr Peter Kosgey and agreed on the deal.

“I put it to you that a plot was hatched to deprive the plaintiff of his land at this meeting,” Mr Lubulellah told the witness.

He accused the witness of being the “engine” of the alleged fraud. “A scheme was hatched by you and your namesake, Mr William Ruto, to grab the plaintiff’s land in Tapsagoi,” he said.

The witness admitted he was Mr Ruto’s agent in the deal but said his job was to find the landowner and introduce him to Mr Ruto.

He said he established that the owners of the land were a Mr Kiptugen, the husband of Dorothy Yator, a Mr Bethuel Kipsang and Mr Peter Kosgey. He said he did not conduct an official search but was shown six titles in the name of Dorothy Yator.

The men who came to Mr Ruto’s office introduced themselves as agents of the title holder, he said.

Mr Lubulellah, however, said there was neither evidence of a sale agreement, Land Control Board consent nor payment of the purchase price.

He also questioned Mr Ruto’s decision not to appear as a witness in a case where he is first defendant.

The witness denied all this, saying he knew a sale agreement had been drawn up and the Sh600,000 was the last instalment of the payment for the land.

The hearing resumes on Monday. (READ: Title deed in Ruto land deal forged, says ministry official)