Kalonzo threatens to sue DP over Yatta land grab claims
Wiper Democratic Movement (WDM) leader Kalonzo Musyoka yesterday threatened to sue Deputy President William Ruto who had earlier in the year claimed that the former vice-president had grabbed 200 acres of land in Yatta belonging to the National Youth Service.
Kalonzo, who spoke after he was cleared by the DCI over the allegations said he would seek “heavy damages” because the claims had injured his reputation.
“We do not intend to leave this matter here because my rights were violated by these announcements.
My legal team is still exploring other ways because heavy damages are clearly to be considered, including other legal remedies that we may want to pursue,” Kalonzo told reporters at Kalonzo Musyoka Command Centre in Karen.
He was accompanied by Senators Enoch Wambua (Kitui), Mutula Kilonzo Junior (Makueni), Makueni MP Dan Maanzo and Embakasi South MP Julius Mawathe among other leaders from the party.
Ruto, while addressing a rally in Bomet in January, accused Kalonzo of having nothing to show for his 40 years in politics other than “grabbing” the Yatta land.
“Your only record is that you are living on government land, which you have turned to be yours,” said the DP.
Yesterday, an aggrieved Kalonzo, accompanied by his lawyers James Orengo (Siaya Senator, Kilonzo Jnr and Maanzo presented himself to the DCI regarding the claims and a team was constituted to probe them.
Earlier, Kalonzo had been issued with a letter dated August 12, and signed by DCI boss George Kinoti indicating that all the claims made by Ruto lacked proof.
Final findings
“The complaint was comprehensively investigated and the final findings were that Pasteve Holding Limited privately owns the subject property after it acquired it from a company known as Betraco Limited.
That NYS alleged to be the legitimate owners of the subject property categorically stated that they have no bona fide proprietary ownership interest of the same at all,” Kinoti said, thus concluding that.
Buoyed by the outcome of the finding, Kalonzo accused Ruto of numerous ills including land grabbing.
He cited grabbing of Alexander Muteshi’s 100 acres of land by the DP during the 2007/08 post election violence in which he was found guilty by the courts.
He also named the irregular acquiring of land in Taita Taveta, Agriculture Development Center land in Laikipia, illegal obtaining of land belonging to later former Vice-President Joseph Murumbi in Kilogoris.
He also cited the Lang’ata road land hosting the Weston Hotel, which the National Land Commission found to have been grabbed from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority as well as the attempted grabbing of Lang’ata Primary School land.
“Those are things that I am ready to substantiate. Some of them are matters that are in public records. I am pursuing this matter legally,” the Wiper party boss said.
