Details have emerged about how Deputy President William Ruto ended up acquiring the ownership of the contested Weston Hotel Land from Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
According to a report by The Star, several companies including a church had applied to have the firm allocated to them.
After the National Land Commission legitimised the acquisition of the land by DP Ruto for Kshs350 million, KCAA fiercely contested the allocation terming it as fraudulent.
According to KCAA'a legal services manager Cyril Wanyong'o, the commission argued that the development plan No.42.8.89.5A for the commission on the land had been laid out seven years before the companies that were first allottees had been registered.
KCAA further argued that the parcel held sensitive navigation equipment and spares.
In 1999, then Commissioner of Lands Sammy Mwaita had written to the Directorate of Civil Aviation indicating that he had also received an application from a church group that wanted to build on the parcel.
Wayong'o, however, acknowledged that it had not been necessary for agencies to have title deeds for land owned by the government which included public schools as the reason they did not have a title deed.
NLC, in its ruling, explained that it could not determine whether the process of allocation of the land to Priority and Monene investments was illegal as neither party had presented a title deed.
The commission further revealed that as much as it had found the letter of allotment issued to Priority and Monene was irregular, Weston Hotel was a purchaser with no defect.
DP Ruto reportedly bought the land from Priority and Munene in 2007 for Kshs10 million.
