Maragua MP Mary Wamaua was chased away by angry residents in Kimorori Grounds, Kenol, Murang'a County, on Monday afternoon.
In videos seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the crowd was seen shouting and charging towards the MP, who was being guided by security personnel, including a police officer from the site.
The Kimorori residents were reportedly angry with the MP over plans to develop the sports grounds, with some sources claiming that the government wants to launch an affordable housing project there.
Plans to develop the grounds have sparked public outrage in the area, with the residents demanding that the land be left as is.
Since these plans were first conceived in 2022, the youth have been outraged by them on two separate occasions. According to reports, there are plans to construct a number of government offices on the property.
The Maragua NG-CDF committee set aside Ksh24 million in 2022 to build the subcounty headquarters, an ICT centre, and a contemporary court on the property.
According to a KNA report on September 4, the local youth have repeatedly objected to the construction of the field that they have long used for sports and training.
Instead, they have called for alternative arrangements to preserve recreation facilities available for sports and mental health while the government proceeds with the sub-county headquarters project elsewhere.
“We want to grow our talents, but now they are taking over this field; what will we do? Young people will turn to crime. We come here to play and train every day after our hustles. Sometimes we even have up to 15 teams playing on this field; where will they go?” one posed.
“How I wish they were building washrooms and dressing rooms for us instead of taking the whole field away.”
“We keep ourselves busy on the field, shun antisocial behaviours, and at the same time bond with each other for mental wellness and taking it away will leave a big gap in our community,” another lamented.
While speaking to KNA, however, MP Wamaua insisted that the project will continue no matter what, and the land had been earmarked legally.
She also dismissed reports that the land was being unlawfully grabbed for affordable housing, saying, "How can one grab the security powerhouse of a sub-county and construct their own houses? We are building government offices."
