Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto has offered to give away the 15,000-acre land Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i claimed he owns at Mutara Ranch in Laikipia.
Speaking on Thursday, September 9, when he hosted a section of elected leaders from Narok South Constituency at his Karen residence in Nairobi, the deputy president authorised the state to subdivide the land and give it to the landless Kenyans in the region.
The deputy president said he was ready to give Laikipia residents the land if that would bring to an end the ongoing skirmishes in the region.
“There has been a lot of propaganda lately and I want to tell those who said that I own a 15,000-acre land in Laikipia to subdivide it and give it to Kenyans. I have given you the authority,” Ruto said.
DP Ruto further faulted the Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai for endangering the lives of Kenyans by propagating divisive politics instead of focusing on his Constitutional mandate.
“IG who is in charge of security should stay away from politics, his constitutional job gives his office the independent role of focusing on security matters,” DP Ruto said.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Committee on Administration and National Security on Wednesday, September 1, to shed light on the changes made to DP Ruto’s security team, Matiang’i disclosed some of the properties allegedly owned by former Agriculture Minister.
Among the properties listed was the Deputy President’s 15,000-acre ADC Laikipia Mutara Ranch, one of the most highly protected ranches across the country.
CS Matiang’i said the ADC Laikipia Mutara ranch which is guarded by six police officers was acquired by the former Eldoret North Member of Parliament in 2015.
But the deputy president has since dismissed the claims saying he does not own the land in any way and if the State insists it’s his land then he wants it subdivided and given to landless Kenyans.
