On Wednesday, September 1, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i disclosed some of Deputy President William Ruto’s properties across the country.
Among the properties listed was the Deputy President’s 15,003 – hectare ADC Laikipia Mutara Ranch, one of the most highly protected ranch across the country.
The high-profile ranch, hived off the expansive Mutara ADC farm, has been spared from recent attacks where armed herders used to drive their livestock into farms at a time the drought continues to bite local herders.
While appearing before the National Assembly’s Security Committee on Wednesday morning, CS Matiang’i said the ADC Laikipia Mutara ranch is guarded by six police officers.
It is alleged that the ranch was acquired by the former Eldoret North Member of Parliament in 2015.
Although the process in which the ranch was acquired remains a mystery, sources have intimated that ADC was disposing of part of the land to ease its financial burdens.
Despite being private property, the ranch has a fully-fledged police camp with personnel from both regular and Administration Police officers making it one of the country’s most highly protected ranch.
Before the land was leased out, local residents would pay KSh 200 monthly to ADC to allow them to graze their animals in the vast grassland.
But this is no longer tenable with armed police providing round-the-clock surveillance.
“We are very sad at the state of affairs. We are now forced to drive our animals for long distances in search of pasture since we won’t be allowed to graze inside Mutara,” lamented Kesion Sige, a farmer as quoted by the Standard.
Located about a 30-minute drive from Rumuruti town, the ranch is estimated to be home to more than 5000 indigenous Borana cattle has a police camp with temporary iron sheet houses is visible from the rough road that cut across the region.
Apart from the presence of heavy-armed guards, the extensive ranch is secured all around with an electric fence and deep trenches to keep off intruders.
Matiang’i on September 1 told Parliament that the deputy president is the most protected second in command since independence.
He said the former Agriculture Minister has 257 police officers responsible for his security and that of his various properties across the county.
The deputy president has however denied being the owner of the farm.
“Now the OP people have gotten it 70 per cent right but I don’t have a farm in ADC,” Ruto said.
