Deputy President William Ruto\u2019s farm manager was arrested in connection with alleged illegal water connections in Taita Taveta County.<\/p>\n
Yesterday\u2019s arrest comes as the row between the DP\u2019s farm and Taita Taveta County government escalates. Taveta Law Courts allowed the county administration to enter the DP\u2019s vast Kisima Farm and disconnect any illegal water connections.<\/p>\n
Arie Dampers, a South African national, was arrested by police, following a day long inspection of the 1,000-acre farm by the Taita-Taveta Water and Sewerage Company (TAVEVO) officials and police.<\/p>\n
County Police Commander Said Kiprotich said the county government officials found an illegal pipe at the farm prompting Dampers\u2019 arrest.He said earlier the officials were denied entry by the farm management, despite a court order allowing them access. They were however allowed in later when they were accompanied by police officers.<\/p>\n
\u201cTAVEVO officials escorted by the police, inspected the farm and found a three-quarter inch pipe, which was illegally connected. It is just a small pipe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
What nextKiprotich said the suspect was detained and later released on a police bond awaiting prosecution. \u201cWe are still waiting for the county government to tell us what to do with the case because it has its own by-laws,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The police commander said once the county government decides to charge the suspect the police will seek direction from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on how to go about the case.\u201cWe have done our part as directed by the court. The ball now lies with the county administration. We want the administration to tell us what to do on the issue,\u201d said Kiprotich.On Wednesday, Taveta Principal Magistrate Benson Khapoya granted permission to officials of TAVEVO and police to enter the farm to inspect it and disconnect any illegal water connections.<\/p>\n
Ruto bought the farm in Mata Ward from former Taveta MP Basil Criticos about two years ago. About 20 squatter families living on it were evicted and it was fenced. Criticos had battled squatter invasion of the farms for decades.Local leaders, including Criticos and Mata MCA Chanzu Khamadi, defended Dr Ruto over allegations that he has denied the residents water.<\/p>\n
The legislators said reports that the DP has diverted water from a canal to his farm were fictitious, misleading and malicious.Criticos said the report is meant to incite residents against the Deputy President.\u201cI am the former owner of the land and I know its history. The farm has never had water since 1984. Those claiming that Dr Ruto has diverted water to his farm are out to incite residents,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Deputy President William Ruto\u2019s farm manager was arrested in connection with alleged illegal water connections in Taita Taveta County. Yesterday\u2019s arrest comes as the row between the DP\u2019s farm and Taita Taveta County government escalates. Taveta Law Courts allowed the county administration to enter the DP\u2019s vast Kisima Farm and disconnect any illegal water connections. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":1772,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3,8],"tags":[1043,1042,647,312],"class_list":["post-1771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","category-homepage-english","tag-arie-dampers","tag-kisima-farm","tag-taita-taveta-county","tag-william-ruto"],"yoast_head":"\n