Lands Cabinet Secretary, Farida Karoney has been 'cleared' of the land dispute she was caught up in few hours after being sworn-in.
Speaking to journalists, one Mr Linus Kipchumba - previous owner of the disputed land - disclosed that Ms Karoney legally bought the 17-acre parcel of land from him.
"I was the real owner of this land until November last year when I sold it to Karoney, and I don’t understand why she is being dragged into this matter since we completed the transaction,” Mr Kipchumba noted.
[caption caption="File image of CS Farida Karoney"]
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Absolving Karoney from blame, Kipchumba stated that the family of Athletics Kenya Youth Development Programmes chairman Barnabas Korir, which has been laying claim to the land located on Kimondi River in Chesumei, are his distant relatives.
However, Kipchumba accused the Korirs of having a hatched plan to frustrate him over the ownership of the land.
Kipchumba added that he inherited the property registered as Nandi/Kamoywo 760 from his deceased parents.
“I inherited two plots and followed all the steps as required by law when acquiring the title deeds. I sold the one under controversy to Ms Karoney,” he mentioned.
Giving further details on the land, Kipchumba showed Nation documents delivered to him by the Lands Registry in Kapsabet bearing his name as the previous owner of the land.
Kipchumba also disclosed that the initial owner, Maria Chelagat - who passed away, sold the land to their father, Abraham Korir in 1968.
The disagreement between the two families intensified on February 12, when senior resident Magistrate Kesse Cherono, issued orders for the land to be surveyed and fenced a directive which was resisted by the family of former Member of County Assembly (MCA) Amos Korir.
On Friday 16, Mosoriot OCS, Nicholas Pera, led a group of officers to effect the court order, a move which was largely condemned by the family.
[caption caption="File image of Farida Karoney taking oath of office"]
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