Silas Imbanga, a businessman who owns several entertainment establishments including Pit Stop Dala in Kisumu, distanced himself from Langata Member of Parliament (MP) Phelix Odiwuor (Jalang'o) after hundreds of youths raided his business and destroyed property worth millions.
Speaking to the press, the manager of the establishment Erick Wanyonyi stated that goons raided Pit Stop Dala in Kisumu on March 20, 2023, during the Azimio mass protests claiming that it was owned by the Langata MP.
He added that the Azimio supporters claimed that Jalango had betrayed them and raided the restaurant to destroy the property as retaliation.
“We had heard about this going around but as management, we could not foresee such a turn of events.
“I was here. Before we knew it, hundreds of people had stormed the club, their main focus was alcoholic drinks. As a matter of precaution, we had taken the bulk of our stock to a safe house,” he narrated.
According to Wanyonyi, the owner of the business only contracted Jalang’o in 2020 when the business was being established as an influencer to help market it.
“Jalango is not the owner of Pit Stop Dala. He was only associated with this establishment because we had engaged his services as an influencer.
“He has been in the entertainment industry for some time now and bringing him on board would clearly help us market the business,” he explained.
According to Wanyonyi, they suffered a loss of approximately Ksh2,700,000, including the entire music system that was vandalised.
The destruction forced the restaurant to let go of some of its staff and spend additional funds on repairs. He added that since its establishment, the business had offered employment to many of the residents.
“We came to Kisumu precisely to attend to the needs of Rhumba enthusiasts and everyone who wants to have good food while in the City.
“What we want to tell our clients is that this business is here to serve them. We have 56 staff and 30 casuals who draw their income from this establishment. We are talking about more than 120 families if we factor in suppliers,” the manager noted.
Additionally, he stated that the owner of the business, Silas Imbanga, was also the proprietor of Pit Stop Grill in Lang’ata and Tents Restaurant located in Buru Buru Estate in Nairobi.
