Land disputes in Eldoret have once again found their way into the courts, this time involving a businessman accused of multiple counts of fraud.
The man at the center of the case, Hosea Kibet Ruto, is facing nine charges over alleged fraudulent dealings involving prime parcels of land in Uasin Gishu County.
He was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Dennis Mikoyan, where he denied all the charges brought against him. Prosecutors claim that Ruto forged a series of documents, including lease certificates, with the intention of dispossessing rightful landowners.
The case has drawn attention because one of the complainants is Ruth Nyambura, the widow of the late lawyer Paul Gicheru.
Gicheru, who had been facing charges of witness tampering at the International Criminal Court before his death, left behind various assets, and Nyambura claims that Ruto defrauded her of a valuable piece of land in Eldoret’s West Indies area.
According to investigators, Ruto allegedly made a lease document under her name for a parcel identified as Eldoret Municipality Block 5/835.
The prosecution says the document was forged to appear as if it had been signed by the Land Registrar.
The charge sheet also highlights another case where Ruto is accused of falsifying a document under the name of Christine Kemei.
This particular document, dated July 1, 2015, concerned a parcel of land described as Eldoret Municipality/Block 585. The prosecution maintains that Ruto used these falsified documents in attempts to claim land that did not belong to him.
One incident cited in court was on October 13, 2024, when Ruto allegedly presented a forged lease certificate to an officer of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations at Eldoret Police Station, claiming it was a genuine record from the Lands Registry.
The State intends to rely on the testimonies of two key witnesses to strengthen its case, among them Nyambura.
Their statements are expected to provide more details on how the alleged fraud was carried out.
On his part, Ruto pleaded with the court to consider his health condition while determining bail terms.
He informed the magistrate that he was undergoing treatment at St. Luke’s Hospital and requested lenient bail to allow him to continue his medical care without interruption.
After listening to both sides, Chief Magistrate Mikoyan granted Ruto release on a bond of KSh500,000 or a cash bail of KSh200,000.
The matter is scheduled for mention on August 25 before the Principal Magistrate at Eldoret Law Courts.
The case is expected to shed more light on how fraudulent land dealings are conducted in Eldoret and whether the allegations against Ruto will stand in court.
