'Take me where you want!' MP Oscar Sudi defies court orders as he leads demolitions

Five families in Eldoret are tussling over the ownership of a 20-acre piece of land that has been in contention for the last one year.

This comes after Kapseret legislator Oscar Sudi on Wednesday led a group of youth in demolishing structures sitting on the contentious piece.

The incident comes just two days after a woman laying claim on part of the land allegedly sought audience with President William Ruto’s help in occupying the property. 

The victim of the tussle has furnished Citizen TV with court documents granting him ownership of the land, and condemning the demolition which he says plunges the country into the dark days of disregarding not only court orders but also basic human rights.

A group of youth armed with crude weapons allegedly brought by Sudi, who supervised the exercise, were seen bringing down structures at the 20-acre Kamagut farm.

In a video taken two days ago at the Kamagut area, an unidentified woman is seen talking to President Ruto, who then summons the Kapseret MP.

The woman in question revealed that she sought help from the Head of State to repossess the 20-acre piece that was allegedly grabbed from her and two other families.

“Nilikuwa classmate na rais, sasa vile alikuja akanisalamia, nikamwambia kuna mtu amechukua shamba yangu nataka anisaidie...rais akaniuliza ni nani anajua hii maneno, nikamwambia Sudi ndio anajua. Akaita Sudi akamwambia sikia hiyo maneno ya huyo mama na ufanye haraka,” Emily Jepkemei, a resident at Pioneer, said.

However, a magistrate’s court in Eldoret ruling delivered on September 2, 2022 declared Paul Kirwa Samoei and two others as the bonafide owners of the land.

In an appeal at the High Court in Eldoret, the court made a ruling in favour of Kirwa on January 19, 2023. Kirwa on Wednesday watched helplessly as his structures were torn down, in complete disregard of the court’s ruling

“Tuko na title...tumeenda kotini, court wakafanya case wakakuja mpaka kwa shamba November 11 tukawekewa status quo...tumeshtuka leo...documents sisi tumepeleka yetu, hao hawajaleta yao...mheshimiwa saa hii anasema sisi ni wakora,” Kirwa lamented.

In his defence, MP Sudi joined in the onslaught against the Judiciary, insisting that Kirwa is not the genuine owner of the land in question.

“Kuna ukora kwa mahakama na ni watu kutoka side moja...hii makesi yote ya Eldoret hatutawacha kuendelea hivi...na kama kuna mtu ako na evidence ama ako na question mark, akuje aniulize mimi...ni mimi anipeleke kortini, sio mtu mwingine,” Sudi said.

Kirwa added: “Mimi sijui mheshimiwa ametoa wapi nguvu ya kusema sisi ni wakora…mpaka polisi na mahakama amesema sisi wote ni wakora...sisi hatutaki kuingilia akisema ati alitumwa na nani...sisi yeye ndio tulimwona na kama anasema kortini ni wakora sasa sijui sisi tutakuwa nini.”

For now, Kirwa, in possession of court documents, has been rendered homeless as he waits to see how the incident will unfold and whether the arms of government will shield him from the reigning impunity.