Deputy President William Ruto's Nairobi Karen residence has been repurposed as a Weston Hotel branch, according to reports, amid ongoing land ownership disputes and revelations about official residences.
The 0.773-hectare property near Wilson Airport, which houses a 120-bed Weston Hotel, faces conflicting claims between the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and National Land Commission (NLC). A hotel employee dismissed recent attention, stating, "This is an old story. It has been here for years. It is only you who has never been here to dine and sleep." The NLC recommended in 2015 that Ruto compensate KCAA for the land, valued at Sh300 million, though KCAA is still assessing the site for potential billing.
Ruto's official residences include a Sh500 million home in Karen, completed in 2012 and renovated for Sh100 million before his 2013 move. Originally built for then-Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, the property later hosted former President Mwai Kibaki. In 2017, the government initiated renovations to convert a former Coast provincial commissioner's residence into a second official home, costing Sh46.5 million.
Ruto is also linked to a Sh600 million Dolphin Hotel project in Mombasa, part of the Weston chain. In Uasin Gishu County, his Moiben constituency residence—initially reported as a Sh1 billion private home in 2015—may instead become a hotel. A local source suggested, "This is a massive project. He would not want to stay in such expansive houses when his children are moving out." The government is converting the property into a hotel rather than a private residence.
