New twist as Cheluget family members clash over Ruto's Ksh5,800-acre deal

The late Isaiah Cheluget's family now says that it had indeed agreed to sell the land to government as stated by President William Ruto.

A section of family members who held a media briefing in Nairobi early Saturday morning denounced Moses Kipkirui, who had expressed opposition to sale of the land to government. The Cheluget family,  led by former PS and ambassador Nancy Kirui Cheluget, says Kipkirui is not a member.

"We’ve held several meetings with the President’s representatives, including the Lands PS and Narok Governor, seeking a lasting solution," Nancy Kirui Cheluget stated. 

The Nancy Kirui-led team urged the public to ignore Kipkirui’s claims, insisting he’s not part of the talks nor the late Cheluget's son.

"We’ve already made a formal offer to the government to settle the squatters," she added. 

Kipkirui had questioned the transparency of the process, alleging that a section of the family was sidelined.

"I also wanted to know which family members were engaging the President, and who would be paid the money," he stated. 

But Nancy’s faction dismissed him as a stranger.

"I didn’t want to address that because he was a stranger. The grant clearly stated who the administrators were, and he wasn’t one of them," she pointed out. 

Kipkirui had earlier threatened to sue President Ruto, accusing him of misrepresenting the family’s position. But Nancy’s camp insists the Kericho High Court conclusively settled the estate’s succession in 2018.

While Kipkirui says he won’t respond to the family faction that spoke on Saturday, he maintains he’ll challenge the deal in court.

The latest standoff comes days after President Ruto, during a Narok South tour, announced a deal had been struck with the Cheluget family.