Govt Demolishes Former Governor Wangamati’s Ksh500 Million Property Raising Legal and Political Questions
On Saturday, May 4, the Bungoma county government destroyed a Ksh500 million property in Kanduyi that belonged to the family of former Governor Wycliffe Wangamati.
Besides the high-value property, another construction site owned by Wangamati’s family has been condemned and is set to be torn down.
The demolished structure included a supermarket and other amenities, with the land being cleared for expanding the Masinde Muliro Stadium.
The stadium, planned to seat 40,000 people, will host this year’s Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1.
At the demolition site, the governor told the press that the government had other intentions. He mentioned that the government accused his father of land grabbing.
“They gave us a notice in January, and we went to court which ordered a halt to the demolition. Recently, the court extended the injunction by six months, but it seems the county government changed its mind last night,” he said.
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He added that the case was set to be heard on June 8, 2024, and criticized the county government for not abiding by court orders.
Wangamati claimed his father, a reputable worker, obtained the land legally through a lease in 1965.
Following the demolition, young men in the area were seen collecting scrap metal as police supervised the scene.
In April, there had been prior attempts to demolish the building against the court’s ruling, but Wangamati and local traders stopped the trucks.
After the attempt, family members asked the county government to respect the court’s ruling, claiming it seemed to be a politically motivated move.
“We’re not reckless enough to invest Ksh500 million in a building on land that isn’t ours. We rightfully own this land through a lease known to the county,” said the former governor’s brother, Michael Wangamati.
Govt Demolishes Former Governor Wangamati’s Ksh500 Million Property Raising Legal and Political Questions