Defiant Oscar Sudi Evicts Family To Accommodate William Ruto’s Former Classmate

A dispute over the ownership of a 20-acre piece of land in Eldoret has intensified as five families engage in a year-long tiff.

The situation escalated when Kapseret legislator Oscar Sudi, on Wednesday, led a group of youth to demolish structures on the contested property.

Just two days before the incident, a woman, claiming a portion of the land, sought assistance from President William Ruto to occupy the property.

The individual caught in the middle of the dispute presented a local media house with court documents affirming his ownership of the land.

She condemned the demolition, stating that it not only defied court orders but also violated her basic human rights, harkening back to dark days in the country.

In a video captured two days earlier in the Kamagut area, an unidentified woman is seen talking to President Ruto, who subsequently summons the Kapseret MP.

The woman alleges that she approached the President seeking help to reclaim the 20-acre parcel supposedly taken from her and two other families.

However, court documents from a magistrate's ruling on September 2, 2022, declared Paul Kirwa Samoei and two others as the rightful owners of the land.

A subsequent High Court ruling on January 19, 2023, upheld Kirwa's ownership. Despite these legal decisions, Kirwa witnessed the destruction of his structures on Wednesday, an act that disregarded the court's authority.

Kirwa, armed with the title deeds and legal documentation, expressed dismay over the situation. He emphasized that a court had established a status quo on November 11, but the recent events had caught him by surprise.

MP Sudi, defending the demolition, challenged the legitimacy of Kirwa's ownership and criticized the judiciary.

Sudi accused the judiciary of bias, asserting that individuals from a particular side are influencing the legal process.

Kirwa, in response, expressed confusion over the accusations, emphasizing that he and others had followed due legal processes.

As Kirwa, armed with legal documents finds himself homeless, the unfolding incident raises questions on whether or not government authorities will intervene to uphold the rule of law and protect individuals from impunity.