Businessman wants Ksh.55B from Gov’t for controversial Ruaraka land

Businessman Francis Mburu who is at the centre of the Ruaraka Land saga is demanding Ksh.50 billion from Nairobi County and the GOK over the land.

Mburu has vowed to sue the government for $200 million and wants the county to pay him Ksh.30 billion over what he terms as “illegal allocation” of the 13-acre piece of land.

The businessman, who was arrested on Thursday by detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) after they raided his homes in Karen and Riverside also says he wants Ksh.30 billion from the Nairobi County government. The sleuths seized computers, documents and cash.

The businessman blasted Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko who told a senate committee that the Ruaraka land belongs to the public and should be surrendered.

“Here, is the correct position, Sonko is lying to Kenyans, he is not a straightforward person, Sonko has allocated over 800 plots illegally on my property. You know how much I want from Nairobi County Government, I want Ksh.30 billion,” he said on Thursday night after being released from EACC.

Mburu claims he has owned the land since 1981 and then Nairobi City council subdivided the land on which Ruaraka and Drive-Inn Primary schools sit.

“They took those properties, have built high rise buildings on my properties and are now talking of surrender. How can you allocate my land to the rich guys around and then demand for surrender, what surrender?” I have never surrendered any land,” he adds.

Asked about the whole scandal surrounding him and the land, Mburu was quick to say; “There is no scam; this is created, it is freehold, this land is not 99 years, it is not government allocation.”

Mburu says he will sue the government for over $200 million at the Dubai International Court for what he says is “for spoiling my name.”

The businessman, who has long lived in the shadows says that he is not a billionaire as many claim.

“I don’t show off, do you know me?” he posed. “I am a down to earth person, they are hurting me for nothing. I am not a billionaire, I am just a rich man.”

Mr. Mburu, a well-connected tycoon, was allegedly paid Ksh.1.5 billion by the government for acquisition of the land yet it is claimed to be public land, simply implying that the government spent billions of taxpayers’ money to buy its own land.

Out of the Ksh.3.2 billion he was supposed to be paid for the 13-acre land, Ksh.1.5 billion has already been paid out to one of his companies, Afrison Export Import, and he had been demanding for the remaining Ksh.1.7 billion.

“I will be taking this matter to court to seek rent for the 34 years that the schools have been occupying my land, which is valued at Ksh.5.9 billion. I hope this committee will be fair to me and help me get my rent,” Mr Mburu recently told the Senate Public Accounts and Investments Committee.

“I have a court order showing that the government has been sitting on my land illegally. I have a court order allowing me to demolish illegal structures, including the two schools. But I have not evicted the schools because I care for the children. I hope you will be fair to me.”