Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.

Narok: President William Ruto’s recent remarks during a development tour in Sogoo, Narok South have ignited a wave of controversy over a land linked to the late former Nyanza provincial commissioner Isaiah Kiplangat Cheluget.

Addressing residents at Sogoo Trading Centre on Wednesday, May 7, Ruto stated that he had consulted with Cheluget before agreeing to purchase the 5,800-acre disputed land for the resettlement of over 13,000 families evicted from the Mau Forest.

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“I know there are two issues that these MPs have raised with me. We have this Cheluget land here, which has caused us problems for a long time. So let me tell you about the Cheluget land; we called Cheluget, we sat down with him, and we agreed that the government will buy this land. We will buy it so that those living there can continue living there," Ruto said, to applause from the crowd.

The land in question, registered as LR No. Narok/Cis-Mara/Ilmotiok/54, was allocated to Cheluget in 1974.

The family has since faced difficulties accessing it due to disputes with squatters who settled on the property in the late 1990s.

Attempts to reclaim the land, including through the courts, have been met with resistance, leading to occasional evictions that have drawn national attention.

However, the statement confused many Kenyans as Cheluget passed away on June 26, 2017, at Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu and was buried at his Litein home in Kericho county.

Some took to social media to question how Ruto could have held discussions with a deceased person, with others speculating that he might have meant the Cheluget family.

Amid the confusion sparked by the president’s remarks, Capital FM later reported that the Ministry of Lands confirmed that negotiations between the government and the Cheluget family are ongoing, dismissing claims that the statement was misleading.

The report clarified that the discussions are focused on resolving the long-standing land dispute and facilitating the government’s resettlement plans.

Reuben Maritim

"The name never dies. It remains with the family forever."

Daisy Kaku Dei

"Ni msichana wa Cheluget ndiye aliinherit iyo shamba. Sasa mnataka president ataje kila mtu kwa majina? Alisema ameongea na family ya Cheluget."

Noniot Kibet

"It doesn’t matter who has it as hii. The issue is “tuliketi chini na Mr Cheluget na tukaelewana“. Hajasema aliketi na msichana wa Cheluget. Mr Cheluget was a PC like Natembea ni jina kubwa sana huwezi kosea kujua msichana na babake."

Obadiah Terer

"Cheluget is a firm, an entity that is different from the person of Cheluget."

Kimeto Baibe

"Cheluget died but the name remains with the family. He might have been talking about the family members. Unajuaje kama the son hajiiti Cheluget? The famous families maintain the name for all generations."

In other news, former Agriculture Cabinet secretary Mithika Linturi openly refuted Ruto’s claims that the two had been in constant communication.

In a bold statement, Linturi dismissed the assertion as false, clarifying that their last conversation occurred on December 10, during a meeting with Meru bishops.

The former CS firmly ruled out any interest in reclaiming his previous role, stating that he does not need Ruto’s support to find employment.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke