Edward Ruiru Maina, a businessman behind Ndibithi Farmers Company Ltd, has been charged with seven fraud counts related to a 5,000-acre parcel of land in the Ndabibi, Naivasha.
Mr Maina has been accused of trying to grab the vast land from Anointed Valley Company, forging ownership documents, obtaining Sh200,000 from Stanley Kariuki under the pretext of selling a 0.5-acre parcel and perjury for allegedly giving false testimony in a past court case over ownership of the property.
The land has been the subject of controversy over several months, with Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara last month insisting that President William Ruto purchased the prime property from Benjamin Kipkulei.
Mr Kipkulei, who was an aide of late president Daniel Moi, sold the land as its registered owner, Mr Kihara said.
“On an unknown date and place within the Republic of Kenya, jointly with others not before court, conspired with intent to defraud Anointed Valley Company Ltd of land parcels known as Land Reference Numbers 1695/12, 1695/13, 1695/14, 1695/15, 1695/16 and 1695/17 measuring approximately 25.8054 Ha valued at approximately Sh26,000,000 by falsely pretending that you are the genuine owners of the said parcels of land, a fact you knew to be false,” the charge sheet reads in part.
The Nakuru Magistrate’s Court has given Mr Maina an option of paying a Sh1 million bond with surety of a similar amount or Sh150,000 cash bail. Failure to pay either of the two options will see Mr Maina remanded pending determination of the case.
