Cheluget Family Now Agrees With Ruto Over 5,800 Acre Narok Land

A fresh development has shaken the dispute over the 5,800-acre property once owned by the late Isaiah Cheluget, as his family now claims that Moses Kipkirui Cheluget is not his son.

In an official statement, the family called on the public to ignore Kipkirui’s claims that they and President William Ruto did not discuss the land sale.

Kipkirui had earlier alleged that the president never met with the family, pointing out that there was no official signatory due to an ongoing succession case.

However, the family has fired back, insisting that the succession case was already resolved by the High Court in Kericho, with a grant confirmed on June 12, 2018.

President William Ruto speaking during the launch of the Sekenani Bead Production Centre on May 7, 2025 during his two-day development tour of Narok County. /PCS

New information is putting Kipkirui’s credibility under fire, with the family accusing him of being a fraud and not the biological son of the late Isaiah Cheluget. They claim he went to court trying to be recognised as an heir and even pushed for a DNA test to prove it.

But the High Court shut him down, denying both the DNA request and his right to represent the family in any way.

“Mr. Cheluget previously filed a case in 2017 seeking to be recognised as the biological son of the late Isaiah Cheluget. However, his petition was dismissed by the High Court, which declined his request for DNA testing via exhumation, citing procedural and cultural grounds,” the statement read in part.

“As a result, Mr. Moses Cheluget is a stranger to this process and is not legally recognised as a beneficiary or administrator of the estate. His current actions have no legal standing and appear to be an attempt to derail a lawful process being conducted by the rightful estate representatives.”

At a press conference led by Ambassador Nancy Kirui, key family members and estate representatives came together to back the government's role in settling the long-running land dispute.

They made it clear that the late Isaiah Cheluget had personally reached out to the government for help before his death, and that his wishes were finally being fulfilled.

“The family of the late Isaiah Kiplangat Cheluget has been in ongoing discussions with the President’s representatives, including the PS for Lands, the Governor of Narok, and the Director for Settlements, to ensure an amicable resolution,” the statement added.

The family confirmed they’ve held multiple meetings with President Ruto’s team and were satisfied with the peaceful resolution they’ve reached.

The land saga blew up after President Ruto told Narok South residents he had spoken with Cheluget, who died in 2017, about buying the land to resettle squatters.

This notably gained prominence when The Standard, through its newspaper piece titled ‘Lies Getting Bigger’, called out President Ruto for allegedly claiming he planned to meet a man who, as the media house reported, died back in 2017.

The outlet stated that during his Narok visit on Wednesday, May 7, Ruto mentioned plans to meet Isaiah Cheluget regarding a farm dispute. However, records showed that Cheluget passed away in June 2017 at Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu.