DCI Re-Opens Probe Against Deputy President William Ruto over KSh272 Million Land Fraud

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has reportedly re-opened a probe into a land fraud case against Deputy President William Ruto.

In the case, Ruto had been charged with defrauding Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) through the sale of a parcel of land that was hived off Ngong Forest for KSh272 million but was acquitted in 2010 over lack of evidence. He was acquitted alongside his co-accused Joshua Kulei and former Lands boss Sammy Mwaita. 

This week, DCI detectives re-opened the investigation by summoning directors of four companies that were linked to the transaction, The Standard and People Daily reported on Wednesday. The re-opening of the investigation into the alleged fraud case was confirmed by lawyer Katwa Kigen, who appeared at DCI headquarters on behalf of the four companies. 

“They asked for documents on the sale transaction and were also interested to know the names of the directors,” said Kigen.
“All these were on trial in the case prosecuted by then CID from 2004 to 2011. The DCI couldn’t say the motive for the unorthodox attempt to re-open the case,” Kigen added.

Ruto, who was serving as Education Minister at the time, was acquitted together with his co-accused by Chief Magistrate Gilbert Mutembei, who ruled that the prosecution failed to table evidence. It was alleged that the accused persons were paid the aforementioned amount between August 6th and September 6th, 2001.

“The contention of selling land without being procedurally excised from Ngong Forest was the basis of drafting the charges. The letter to hive off the forest land was signed by the then Forestry minister and 33 parcels of land allocated to various companies, and the consent to hive off part of the forest was obtained from the Commissioner of Lands.”

“The prosecution failed to produce in court the then Finance Manager Hellen Njue to give her evidence on how she paid out the money. It is, therefore, clear that none of the accused ever received any money from KPC. The prosecution has failed to prove its case, thus all the accused persons have no case to answer,” Magistrate Mutembei ruled.