This archive report was first published on 4 September 2021.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i's revelation of Deputy President William Ruto's private assets has sparked a heated debate in Kenya, with Ruto's allies threatening to expose President Uhuru Kenyatta's family's land holdings.
Appearing before the National Assembly Security Committee, Matiang'i listed Ruto's multi-million properties, including hotels, poultry farms, ranches, and large tracts of land. He claimed these assets were under State protection despite not being protected areas under law.
Responding to the CS's leak, Dr. Ruto acknowledged that 70 percent of the information was true, but denied owning ADC Laikipia Mutara Ranch, which sits on a 15,000-acre piece of land. He, however, claimed to make Ksh1.5 million a day from egg sales and be a major shareholder in Safaricom.
Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua, an ally of Ruto, said the revelations had given them the perfect opportunity to unmask the Kenyatta family's land holdings. He vowed to 'terrorise' President Kenyatta over the land issue, claiming that many people were landless in the country due to powerful individuals grabbing land meant for squatters and freedom fighters.
The lawmakers alleged that every property owned by the Kenyattas was being guarded by GSU officers, yet they had never been gazetted as protected areas. They vowed to expose the truth about the land meant for Mau Mau freedom fighters and why it was being guarded by the GSU.
