IDP begins land grab suit against Ruto

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Gilbert Adrian Muteshi at the Milimani law courts on July 23, 2012. PHOTO / PAUL WAWERU 

By PAUL JUMA
Posted  Monday, July 23  2012 at  09:40

A man who accuses Eldoret North MP William Ruto of grabbing and occupying his farm in Turbo at the height of the 2008 post-election violence begins to argue his case Monday morning.

Mr Gilbert Adrian Muteshi and his lawyers are expected to face-off with Mr Ruto’s lawyers at the High Court, in Nairobi, where hearing of the case begins.

Mr Muteshi accuses Mr Ruto of grabbing his 100-acre farm after he fled during the 2008 post-election violence. Besides seeking the farm back, he wants Mr Ruto to compensate him and pay the cost of the suit.

Mr Ruto has denied grabbing the land and had offered to vacate it early this year. The Eldoret North MP has stated that he did not know that the land had been irregularly transferred before he bought it. (READ:Ruto agrees to give back land to IDP)

The MP has since written to the Criminal Investigations Department to investigate the matter and take appropriate action on anyone found culpable.

Mr Muteshi fled the land, located in Mr Ruto’s constituency, at the height of the 2008 violence. The farm is in Turbo, Uasin Gishu, which is one of the areas that were most affected by the clashes.

The violence erupted soon after the electoral commission announced the results of presidential elections, which the Orange Democratic Movement disputed. Some 1,133 people were killed and more than 500,000 displaced during the violence.

Mr Muteshi filed the suit in 2010 after he allegedly discovered that those who had moved into the farm had been brought in by Mr Ruto.

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In a different matter, Philip Moi and Ms Pluda Moi, his estranged wife, are expected to report to court on whether they have reached a deal to halt the bankruptcy petition that Mr Moi filed.

Lawyers for the two, whose matter arise from a divorce and maintenance dispute, last week told the High Court that Mr Moi and Ms Pluda were negotiating with the aim of resolving the latest dispute, in which Mr Moi filed for bankruptcy but Ms Pluda objected.