Former Kenyan President Must Pay Widow $10 Million

Former President of Kenya Daniel Arap Moi has been ordered to pay a widow $10 million after the courts ruled that his 1983 acquisition of a 53-acre piece of land was illegal.

Moi is reported to have forcibly taken over the land, which was at the time owned by ex-chief Noah Kipngeny Chelugui. He later sold the land to the Jaswant Rai family, with Rai Plywood using the land to grow wheat.

The case was brought by Chelugui’s widow and son against Moi, Rai Plywood, the District Land Registrar, Uasin Gishu District, the Registrar of Titles and the National Land Commission in 2014.

Despite a 12-year limit on land case claims the case was permitted as a constitutional petition on the basis of the involvement of high ranking government officials.

"Though cancellation of the title is an available remedy, the appropriate remedy is compensation in terms of the value of the land without improvements as the respondents have heavily invested on it and have been in possession for a long period of time,” Justice Ombwayo determined.