Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi, the Weston Hotel’s counsel in a case involving a parcel of land in which the facility stands has claimed that the government sent tractors and goons to demolish the hotel two days ago.
Weston Hotel has remained top on social media trends for the past 48 hours over claims that bulldozers allegedly sent by government had been seen around the facility.
The claims were first posted by Kapsaret MP Oscar Sudi, who had shared some of the pictures of the bulldozers allegedly at Lang’ata Road where the Hotel stands.
“The Deep State are indeed cornered. They have today decided to express their fury by demolishing Weston Hotel,” posted Sudi on October 6, 2021.
Ahmednasir through his official Twitter account on Friday October 8, 2021 confirmed that indeed the tractors had been sent before the operation was later on called off.
“As counsel on RECORD for Weston Hotel I can OFFICIALLY CONFIRM that the GOVERNMENT of the REPUBLIC of KENYA 48 hours ago sent tractors and goons to demolish the Hotel. The operation was called off after the tractors reached the hotel and the powers that be changed its mind,” he posted.
Weston Hotel had in September this year moved to the court of appeal faulting a judge of the High Court who insisted on hearing a petition filed by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) over the land row.
In the appeal, Weston Hotel which belongs to Deputy President William Ruto, said it was dissatisfied by a ruling issued in March this year by Justice Benard Eboso, allowing the petition by KCAA to proceed for hearing.
The hotel management, Priority Ltd and Monene Investment, wanted the suit by KCAA dismissed arguing that the authority erred by filing a fresh suit instead of filing an appeal against a decision by the National Land Commission, dated January 2019.
In the decision, NLC directed Weston to compensate KCAA for the land at the current rates. But on March 2, Justice Eboso dismissed the objection by Weston and stated that Environment and Land Court had jurisdiction to hear the case and that the NLC decision was not binding.
Through senior counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi, Weston faulted the judge saying he failed to address pertinent questions, such as jurisdiction and instead digressed and made a finding on a matter that was not argued before him.
Weston further said the judge failed to determine the issues brought before him by the parties and instead framed for his own issues and gave his interpretation.
Last year, Weston Hotel claimed the land dispute case in court is all about the 2022 presidential election politics.
In its submissions to court, Weston Hotel said the case is a conspiracy between Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and certain political actors to politicise it for “cheap political drama”.
KCAA says the land where Weston Hotel sits belonged to the defunct 1977-era East Africa Community.
In June 1999, then Commissioner of Lands wrote to the Directorate of Civil Aviation citing an application by a church to use the parcel.
But Ruto says he acquired the parcel from Priority Management Ltd and Monene Investments Limited at Sh10 million in 2007.
NLC on its part said the land belonged to KCAA and directed that Weston Hotel pays off for the property at current market value.
