Ruto-Moi Fallout Deepens as Armed GSU Officers Take Over Gideon Moi Family’s Five Acre Land

A five acre property owned by the family of former President Daniel arap Moi near Eldoret State Lodge has become the centre of a dispute after armed General Service Unit (GSU) officers ordered private security guards to leave the land.

The incident occurred on Friday morning,October 16 when the officers arrived at the property and directed the guards to vacate by 4 pm.The guards had watched over the land for nearly a year without any reported incident.

The property,registered as Eldoret Municipality/Block 8/62 lies near the main entrance to Eldoret State Lodge in Uasin Gishu County.

Its location has placed it at the centre of questions about the relationship between private land ownership and security around the government facility.

According to the family’s lawyer Moses Mutisya of Gordon Ogola and Associates the officers said they were following instructions to clear properties adjoining the State Lodge.The caretakers were reportedly informed that they were occupying government property.

The lawyer represents the Moi family and Willowdale Investments Limited,which is linked to the disputed land.He maintains that the family has occupied the property since 1996 and holds documents proving ownership.

Mutisya also questioned why the occupants were ordered to leave without receiving a formal eviction notice.He said the land had remained free of disputes for almost three decades before the latest development.

By Saturday afternoon the occupants had left the property,while GSU officers remained at the site. The area around the State Lodge was also under tight security with access to roads leading to the protected facility restricted.

The family’s legal representatives have challenged the manner in which the operation was carried out and warned that they could pursue legal action if the matter is not addressed.

The circumstances behind the move remain unclear.It has not been established whether the operation was driven by security concerns or a dispute over the land.

Attempts by The Standard to obtain a response from Government Spokesman Charles Owino were unsuccessful,leaving the government yet to publicly explain the reasons for the operation.

The occupation has placed the ownership of the strategically located property and the actions taken by security officers under scrutiny.

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