Naivasha Residents Move To Block Planned Invasion On Ruto’s Land By Youths
Residents of Ndabibi in Naivasha, Nakuru County, claimed that a group of youth planned to invade a large tract of land owned by President William Ruto in the area.
Locals who took to the streets on Tuesday said they were organizing a peaceful counter-protest against the group that planned to invade Ruto’s sprawling farm.
Speaking with journalists, residents claiming to be protecting Ruto’s property warned against such a move, stating that it would harm their businesses and livelihoods, resulting in losses.
Angry Residents Ndabibi-Naivasha area clash with police as they were protesting and claiming that President William Ruto has displaced them and grabbed their 2,000 acres of land. pic.twitter.com/v6Al0c1aHS
— Abdulahi Adan (@AbdulahiAdan10) March 7, 2024
The residents also stated that they were blocking the planned protests to avoid any physical altercations.
According to the residents, previous attempts to trespass and gain access to the land had a negative impact on their livelihoods and resulted in losses of millions.
“There is a group of people that wants to come and stage protests here in Ndabibi, and the last time they did that we lost a lot of money. As a business person, I could not report to work on that day,” one of the residents lamented.
The residents also stated that anyone who wanted to stage protests could do so in their respective neighborhoods rather than Ndabibi.
Instructively, the parcel of land in question has been the source of contention over ownership issues.
Several farmers’ groups and private developers have long been at odds with the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) over ownership of land they claim to have acquired from the government agency.
Naivasha MP confirms President Ruto acquired disputed land in Ndabibi pic.twitter.com/FQAKNPZtOd
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) March 11, 2024
In an interesting twist, Naivasha MP Jane Kihara revealed on March 11 that President William Ruto owns the land, which he purchased from Benjamin Kipkulei, a former Permanent Secretary in the Moi administration.
According to Kihara, the former PS bought the land from the ADC and then sold it to President Ruto.
The MP also warned against those spreading lies and inciting residents to protest, instead directing disgruntled parties with evidence to submit it to the appropriate authorities.
Naivasha Residents Move To Block Planned Invasion On Ruto’s Land By Youths