Geza Ulole
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- Oct 31, 2009
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Ruto to give back land to IDP
Photo/FILE Eldoret North MP William Ruto addresses a crowd during a rally in Bomet.
By PAUL JUMA pjuma@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Monday, March 5 2012 at 15:15
Eldoret North MP William Ruto has agreed to relinquish a 100-acre land he is accused of grabbing from a man displaced by Kenya's post-election violence.
In an out of court agreement, Mr Ruto has offered to leave the land belonging to Mr Adrian Gilbert Muteshi by April 10.
Mr Muteshi was displaced from the Uasin Gichu based farm in 2008.
The Eldoret North MP said that he required two weeks to remove his properties including fences and hedges from the land in a concession filed in court on Monday.
Relinquishing the land is part of an out-of-court settlement being negotiated by Mr Ruto and his accuser.
The deal is yet to be fully agreed on. Mr Muteshi insists that the United Democratic Party (URP) presidential candidate must compensate him and bear the cost of the suit.
Mr Muteshi filed the suit in 2010, two years after he fled for safety as violence rocked the Rift Valley and other parts of Kenya following a botched presidential vote.
He says that he had been the owner of the land and farmed on it since 1989, having acquired it from a white settler.
He told the court how he returned to the farm after the violence had subsided to find that Mr Ruto had not only taken over, but his workers had been kicked out too.
Mr Ruto has denied grabbing the land.
He said that it was sold to him by one Dorothy Jemutai Yator, but authorities later discovered that the title was not properly processed.
Mr Ruto's lawyers informed Lady Justice Rose Ougo last month that the MP wanted a negotiated settlement of the dispute.
The Judge had given them up to March 5 to negotiate.
On Monday, the lawyers representing both parties filed the notice of concession in which Mr Ruto conceded being in possession and proprietorship of the property.
The MP has also conceded title to ownership of the land.
However, he stated that his concessions were not admissions of any wrong doing or culpability on his part.
He also disclaimed any liability, damages or losses that may have been suffered by anyone as a result of transaction of the land.
Mr Ruto also stated that he will not pay any costs, and that he reserved the right to seek claim compensation from individuals who misled him into acquiring the disputed land.
The Judge gave him and his accuser two more weeks to try to settle the outstanding issue.
If they fail, the issues will go to trial, the Judge said.
Ruto to give back land to IDP*- Politics*|nation.co.ke
MY TAKE
The kind of politicians in Kenya, God forbids! here HE is returning the land since he has sensed the court proceedings might derail his Presidential ambitions! It is interesting someone accused of PEV is also accused of owning a piece of land as a property he benefited/accrued out of the violence he is charged of! This is Kenyan politics we ought to know and be ready to counter wherever we decide to step in our feet and form the EA federation!
Photo/FILE Eldoret North MP William Ruto addresses a crowd during a rally in Bomet.
By PAUL JUMA pjuma@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Monday, March 5 2012 at 15:15
Eldoret North MP William Ruto has agreed to relinquish a 100-acre land he is accused of grabbing from a man displaced by Kenya's post-election violence.
In an out of court agreement, Mr Ruto has offered to leave the land belonging to Mr Adrian Gilbert Muteshi by April 10.
Mr Muteshi was displaced from the Uasin Gichu based farm in 2008.
The Eldoret North MP said that he required two weeks to remove his properties including fences and hedges from the land in a concession filed in court on Monday.
Relinquishing the land is part of an out-of-court settlement being negotiated by Mr Ruto and his accuser.
The deal is yet to be fully agreed on. Mr Muteshi insists that the United Democratic Party (URP) presidential candidate must compensate him and bear the cost of the suit.
Mr Muteshi filed the suit in 2010, two years after he fled for safety as violence rocked the Rift Valley and other parts of Kenya following a botched presidential vote.
He says that he had been the owner of the land and farmed on it since 1989, having acquired it from a white settler.
He told the court how he returned to the farm after the violence had subsided to find that Mr Ruto had not only taken over, but his workers had been kicked out too.
Mr Ruto has denied grabbing the land.
He said that it was sold to him by one Dorothy Jemutai Yator, but authorities later discovered that the title was not properly processed.
Mr Ruto's lawyers informed Lady Justice Rose Ougo last month that the MP wanted a negotiated settlement of the dispute.
The Judge had given them up to March 5 to negotiate.
On Monday, the lawyers representing both parties filed the notice of concession in which Mr Ruto conceded being in possession and proprietorship of the property.
The MP has also conceded title to ownership of the land.
However, he stated that his concessions were not admissions of any wrong doing or culpability on his part.
He also disclaimed any liability, damages or losses that may have been suffered by anyone as a result of transaction of the land.
Mr Ruto also stated that he will not pay any costs, and that he reserved the right to seek claim compensation from individuals who misled him into acquiring the disputed land.
The Judge gave him and his accuser two more weeks to try to settle the outstanding issue.
If they fail, the issues will go to trial, the Judge said.
Ruto to give back land to IDP*- Politics*|nation.co.ke
MY TAKE
The kind of politicians in Kenya, God forbids! here HE is returning the land since he has sensed the court proceedings might derail his Presidential ambitions! It is interesting someone accused of PEV is also accused of owning a piece of land as a property he benefited/accrued out of the violence he is charged of! This is Kenyan politics we ought to know and be ready to counter wherever we decide to step in our feet and form the EA federation!
