Late Cheluget's son threatens to sue Ruto over 5,800-acre land

This follows President William Ruto’s claim that he spoke to the late Cheluget about selling the 5,800-acre property. 

 “We called Cheluget, we sat down with him, and we agreed that the government will buy this land," Ruto said. 

The family, through Cheluget’s son Moses Kipkirui, now accuses the president of misleading residents, insisting no such talks ever happened and that the land remains under succession. 

“I think he is lying. No one in this family is in talks to sell land which doesn’t even have a signatory and is under succession," Kipkirui noted. 

Speaking during a development tour, Ruto claimed he had reached an agreement with Cheluget to buy the 5,800-acre tract of land for resettling more than 13,000 families evicted from the Mau Forest. 

However, Cheluget passed away on June 26, 2017, at Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu and was buried at his Litein home in Kericho County on July 5, 2017. The late Cheluget's son is upset with the president's utterances.

“When the president came here on Wednesday, he alleged he spoke with my father, who died seven years ago. He’s dead. We don't know who the president is negotiating with. We have not received any communication.”

Members of the Cheluget family are calling out the president, saying that the family has neither agreed to sell the land nor appointed an official signatory. They say they will move to court to stop any transactions.

“I will move to court within seven days to halt any payments until we, as a family, determine who’s authorized to speak for us. Who is the president talking to while succession is ongoing? Naona rais alidanganya," Kipkirui added. 

The land, LR No. Narok/Cis-Mara/Ilmotiok/54, was allocated to Cheluget in 1974, but has faced years of occupation by squatters since the late ‘90s. Multiple eviction attempts and court battles have made it one of the most contested properties in Narok.