4,700-acres of Olkiombo Ranch land in Maasai Mara irregularly granted to Narok governor Ntutu’s brother, MPs told
It also emerged that the land was not surveyed before the certificate of ownership was issued Kunini Ntutu with CS Wahome noting that the land records were questionable
New twist has now emerged surrounding the protracted ownership row of the 4,700-acre Olkiombo Ranch within the Maasai Mara Game Reserve emerged yesterday after fresh details from the Survey of Kenya revealed that the land, now under Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu’s brother, Livingston Kunini Ntutu, was irregularly acquired.
The shocking revelations were laid bare yesterday by the Lands, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome who was flanked by Lands Principal Secretary Nixon Korir while appearing before the National Assembly Lands Committee.
It also emerged that the land was not surveyed before the certificate of ownership was issued Kunini Ntutu with CS Wahome noting that the land records were questionable.
The office of the Director of Lands Survey headed by Weldom Maritim declared the parcel awarded to Kunini Ntutu is “foreign” to them and no records exists on it.
The land, which has been the subject of close to 30 years of litigationn between a section of the Maasai community in Narok County and Kunini, is currently before the Court of Appeal.
In July this year, the Court of Appeal allowed Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu’s brother to retain possession of the contested Maasai Mara parcel (CIS-MARA/TALEK/155), pending the outcome of a substantive appeal. While the court barred any sale or transfer of the land, it permitted Livingstone Kunini Ntutu to continue collecting revenue from it, a move seen by many community members as a setback in their fight to reclaim the land.
The matter now awaits full hearing in Civil Appeal No. E052 of 2025.
Yesterday, Lands CS revealed that the land was not surveyed before a certificate of ownership was issued to Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu’s brother, Livingston Kunini Ntutu.
The land tussle, which has been in and out of court for close to three decades, moved to Parliament, where fresh revelations emerged.
“It is not possible, only for this case that I have seen now, that there was a registration of a parcel of land that is not supported by any survey, and that is why from our side we have declared that this parcel is foreign to us,” Director of Lands Survey Weldon Maritim said.
The revelations from the Ministry of Lands raised more questions than answers, with the Members of Parliament (MPs) questioning the credibility of the documents in possession of Kunini Ntutu, who won a court case earlier in the year, allowing him to collect revenue from the parcel of land.
“As long as the CS did not go with what we wanted her to do, she has given you the last nail in the coffin. The survey does not exist, so we don’t have a land number 155. I think this is a closed case,” said Kirinyaga Central MP Joseph Gitari.
Kaloleni MP Paul Katana on his part said, “You can use this one now in the litigation so the CS has really helped you and the committee that we now have a strong case and Kenyans.”
In her response, CS Wahome said, “Survey preceded the registrations so it speaks for itself…If there are no survey records, then there is a problem; sometimes documents can be misplaced, but in this case it didn’t exist.”
Elsewhere, hundreds of residents from Orkinyie in Narok South staged protests against the grabbing of 119 acres of land by allegedly influential persons in government.
“This was done illegally, unprocedurally and unofficially,” Orkinyie resident Amos Koisikir in Narok South said.
The residents presented a formal petition at the Deputy County Commissioner’s office in South Narok, warning that they will return to the streets in less than two weeks if the matter is not addressed.
