$07*%)05-*/&4 > 719 Tullow woes threaten to scuttle > 0800721316 > 0729471414 Kenya’s dream to join oil league PG 18 > 0732353535 12 Friday, April 24, 2020 www.pd.co.ke // www.epaper.peopledaily.co.ke NO.07050 .HQ\D·V )5((1HZVSDSHU News Beat PG 2 DP Ruto’s insatiable love for land returns to haunt him Quarantine uproar Weakest link:Government fights back accusations of endangering Kenyans’ lives by locking up people arrested for contravening coronavirus rules in isolation centres and exposing them to the vile disease. PAGES 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13 & 14 News Beat PG 5 Joho asks State to put "$5*/(%(1"53*$,".05) One of the isolation centres that are now under sharp scrutiny amid claims 5IFBTTVNQUJPOJTUIBUUIPTF 320 15,792 of poor living conditions, prohibitive confirmed cases samples tested since residential costs and poor management Mombasa XIPCSFBLDVSGFXBSFUSFBUFEBT 17 new cases the first case was with many Kenyans warning they could turn out to be the weakest link in the TQFDJBMDBTFTGPSVTCVUXFBSFOPU 89 recovered reported in Kenya on March 12,2020. fight to contain Covid-19 pandemic. in lockdown BUBMMJOUFOUPODSJNJOBMJTJOHDBTFT 14 deaths PHOTO/COURTESY NEWS BEAT PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, April 24, 2020 WEATHER TODAY $06/5:/&841"(& 410351"(& Nairobi 24° Nyeri 22° (JUIVSBJMPDBMTJOGPSFGSPOU *0$EFMFUFT"CFDPNNFOU Mombasa 31° Kitui 28° PGàHIUJOHQBOEFNJD SFHBSEJOH0MZNQJDTDPTU Kisumu 28° Wajir 34° LAND CONTROVERSIES The land on which Weston Hotel in Lang’ata :LOO5XWR·VODQGWURXEOHVEH Nairobi, which is associated, with Deputy Presi- dent William Ruto has been a subject of contro- versy for years. The DCI has re-opened investigations into KLV:DWHUORRLQSROOV" the sale of Ngong Forest land worth Sh272 mil- lion involving Ruto. Seizure of 1,600 acres in In the Narok case, North Mugor Holdings Ruai associated with DP acquired about 1,000 acres from the slightly has been dismissed by his more than 2,000 acres of the land from the Ag- ricultural Finance Corporation in 2015. supporters as politically- The land was seized from the Murumbi fam- motivated move ily after it failed to service a Sh8.6 million loan borrowed on September 16, 1985. by Emeka-Mayaka Gekara And Eric Wainana Election violence @PeopleDailyKe Although Ruto is not enlisted as a direc- tor of North Mugor, a civil society group last Deputy President William Ruto’s appetite for year linked him to the purchase. land, some parcels of which have been repos- Trusted Society of Human Rights last year sessed while others are subject of court cases, wrote to the DCI George Kinoti demanding a could become his Achilles heel in 2022 presi- probe into how the land changed hands. dential election. The group accused AFC of colluding with This even as his supporters yesterday de- the company to acquire the land which was scribed the Wednesday seizure of 1,600 acres also claimed by rival factions at a throwaway of land associated with him in Nairobi’s Ruai price. area as politically-motivated. The lobby accuses AFC of offering to sell the Political observers who spoke to People subject property to North Mugor Holdings at Daily indicated that the takeover of the Ruai Sh63,440,000 which translates to Sh65,000 per land could herald a determination by the State acre. to seize more of his controversial properties, Moreover, DP was in August 2013 ordered to including Weston Hotel which sits on govern- an operation to repossess over 3,000 acres of later set free when the case collapsed. the Dandora Estate Waste Sewerage Treatment Police officers Ruto and his co-accused, Joshua Kulei and surrender land which he was accused of grab- ment land. keep vigil when bing from Adrian Muteshi, who had sued him But Soy MP Caleb Kositany yesterday de- plant located in Ruai which have been grabbed Sammy Mwaita, were acquitted in 2011 with the government for grabbing during the 2007/08 post-election scribed the repossession as illegal. by private entities,” the government said in a the court blaming the prosecution for failing on Wednesday violence. “The owners of the land in Ruai had titles statement. to prove that Ruto had indeed been paid by A close associate of the DP, who spoke on seized land Kenya Pipeline Company for the land. Justice Rose Ougo ordered Ruto to vacate which are government documents,” said the the land and further pay Muteshi Sh5 million. MP, a strong Ruto ally. condition of anonymity, said the DP had allegedly grabbed “The prosecution failed to produce in court tasked him to protest the move in court. by a private the then Finance manager Hellen Njue to give According to Bagaka, the image of a Deputy Ruto has lately been fighting to regain con- President constantly fighting corruption alle- trol of the governing Jubilee Party which he “Who doesn’t know that Ruto is a clever developer in Ruai, her evidence on how she paid out the money,” PD/ PHILIP gations could provide ammunition for his op- co-founded with President Uhuru Kenyatta. businessman? Mheshimiwa’s former allies Nairobi. said the court. have turned against him dragging along his KAMAKYA Ruto had in July 2009 appointed Njue, a key ponents in the 2022 presidential contest. He was jolted into action after officials close to “These allegations can be used by the Uhuru made leadership changes at the secre- businesses to paint him as corrupt in order witness in the case, to the board of trustees of to prevent him from inheriting State House the Coffee Development Fund when he was Kieleweke team to injure the DP more by say- tariat without involving him. ing ‘You see, the person is associated with Political scientist Obuya Bagaka says the re- in 2022,” said the businessman. the Agriculture minister. But Ruto is not new to controversy on Controversy over the Weston Hotel on Nai- mega scandals, can we really entrust him with possession of the Ruai land could just be one the party?” he posed. of the many plots to silence Ruto. matters land. Already, the State has re- robi’s Lang’ata Road has been going on for opened investigations into circumstances some time. But Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri has de- under which a company associated with In January last year, the National Land fended Ruto accusing the State of harass- Weston Hotel him acquired a 1,000-acre farm owned by Commission established that the hotel is ing him by resurrecting old matters with “The Ruai land seizure was Episode One. If late former Vice-President Joseph Murum- built on land owned by the Kenya Aviation the intention of frustrating his presidential he fights back, there will be Episode Two where bi in Narok county. Authority and recommended that Ruto be ambitions. the matter will be taken to court where he will This follows another decision by the Di- compelled to pay “to the people of Kenya” “The State machinery has been turned be forced to defend himself which I doubt he rectorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for the 0.773ha plot opposite Wilson Air- against him by officials who are not elected will be keen on. I will not be shocked if the next to re-open investigations into the sale of port at the current market rate. The matter as the President keeps quiet. The plan will stop will be Weston Hotel,” he said. Ngong Forest land worth Sh272 million is subject of a court case. not succeed,” he said. On Wednesday, the government said it had involving Ruto in 2001. The case saw Ruto In his defence, Ruto argues that he bought Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati, how- repossessed the 1,600-acre which is meant for and other high-ranking officials in the Dan- the property from an individual who had ac- ever, reckons that the DP’s obsession with the expansion of the city’s sewerage plant. iel arap Moi regime charged in court and quired it illegally, and he was, therefore, not to property and attendant cases might return “The government has today embarked on blame. to haunt him. 6RXWK&$NLEDUHVLGHQWVSURWHVWJUDEELQJRIQXUVHU\VFKRROODQG by PD Reporter Karoney and Nairobi governor Mike #)"3"+ According to Ranjana Bharaj, the The residents have been joined by @PeopleDailyKe Sonko to intervene and save the chairman of South C Residents As- the Greenbelt Movement in their ef- plots from a private developer. sociation, the residents have agreed forts to protect the pieces of land. Residents of Nairobi’s Akiba and The developer has already started 5IFHSBCCJOH to contribute money to engage the “Files containing details of the South C estates are up in arms over construction works on the two services of a lawyer to take legal ac- two parcels of land cannot be traced alleged grabbing of two pieces of plots, L.R No. 209/8524/129, that TDIFNFDPVME tion against the developer. at the Ministry of Lands Registry, land earmarked for a playground was designated for a public nursery “Having tried all avenues to pro- leaving most of us wondering and a nursery school. school, and L.R No.209/8524/130 JOWPMWFIJHISBOLJOH tect the playground, to no avail, we whether the grabbing scheme in- The residents have appealed to that had been earmarked for a pub- are left with only one option, which volves high ranking government Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida lic playground. HPWFSONFOUPGàDJBMT is to file a case in court,” Bharai said. officials,” said Bharai. Friday, April 24, 2020 / PEOPLE DAILY #WHACKYWORLD 3 with Julio Kiths @PeopleDailyKE Are these the word’s most merciless, meanest landlords? World over, there are countless, horrendous tales of landlords subjecting tenants to untold suffering for defaulting on rent; mean house owners who will not repair leaking roofs, who spy on tenants, demolish houses while tenants are inside without prior warning—and even kill and maim.