The county government of Bungoma demolished a Ksh500 million property in Kanduyi belonging to the family of former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati on Saturday, May 4.
In addition to the multimillion property, another construction site owned by the former governor's family has been condemned and is scheduled for demolition.
The demolished building housed a supermarket among other facilities, and the land is being cleared to make way for the expansion of the Masinde Muliro Stadium.
The stadium, expected to accommodate 40,000 people, is slated to host this year's Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1.
According to the governor who spoke to the press at the demolition site, the government had ulterior motives. He revealed that the government was accusing his father of grabbing the land.
"They gave us a notice way back in January we went to court and it gave us orders stopping the demolition. Recently the court gave us 6 months injunction but I guess the county government changed their mind last night," he stated.
He further revealed that the case was scheduled to be heard on June 8, 2024, and accused the county government of failing to comply with court orders.
Wangamati explained that his father was an honest employee who acquired the land through a lease in 1965, lawfully obtaining it from the government.
Following the demolition, young men from the surrounding areas were seen scavenging for scrap metal while police officers monitored the area.
Notably, in April, there were previous attempts to demolish the building against the court's ruling, but the former governor and traders in the area blocked the trucks.
After the attempt, family members urged the county government to respect the court's decision, adding that it appeared to be a political witch-hunt.
"We are not madmen to construct a Ksh500 million building on land that is not ours. We are the legitimate owners of this land by virtue of a lease that the country is also aware of," the former governor's brother, Michael Wangamati stated.
