It's political thuggery, Wamatangi claims after property demolished

Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi inspects the ruins of his business premises after demolition along Douglas Wakihuri Road, behind Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi, on January 14, 2026. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

The ruins of Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi’s property, demolished near Nyayo Stadium, formed a grim backdrop as business owners surveyed the rubble of what, until 3am on Wednesday, had been their livelihoods.

By morning, the gunshots, teargas and the rumble of bulldozers had ceased, replaced by hushed but angry murmurs from entrepreneurs who claimed they had not been given adequate notice.

Among them was Wilfred Bosire, who owned an electronics shop and repair hub.

“I have lost goods worth millions of shillings. My workers have now been rendered jobless,” he said.

Bosire believes the demolition was politically motivated, aimed at forcing them out to pave the way for another proprietor.

“This is a calculated act of economic sabotage against small business owners,” he said, pointing to the ruins that once housed his shop.

“To do this now, when we have just stocked up for the new quarter, is nothing short of heartless. They have silenced the heartbeat of this community’s economy.”

Footage seen by The Standard showed businesses — including a car wash, restaurant, beauty parlour and liquor outlets — flattened under the supervision of security officers.

Along Douglas Wakihuri Road, where the premises were located, The Standard observed burnt tyres, indicating that protests had erupted during the demolition.

People search for valuables from the ruins of business premises belonging to Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi, after demolition along Douglas Wakihuri Road, behind Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi, on January 14, 2026.

Maggie Wambui, who witnessed the destruction, said police fired shots into the air to disperse crowds.

“Police officers came here at 3am. They arrived in large numbers and disrupted everything. They started chasing people,” she said.

Personal reasons

Another business owner, Derrick Mbugua, expressed shock, saying years of sweat and sacrifice had been wiped out without adequate notice.

“They destroyed carpets and dashboards, and now we are collecting whatever is left, at least to recover part of the losses. We have lost tyres and other items,” he said.

He added: “This place was operational. People were eating here. There is a club that was not touched. This looks like someone targeting the Governor for personal reasons.”

Mbugua said no equipment was salvaged, even as business owners condemned the demolition.

“This is a political issue. We see it as politics, and it ends up affecting ordinary citizens. That night, police were present,” he said. “This was not lawful. It is a crime to deliberately cause people losses.”

Court case

The demolitions took place despite a court order issued on Tuesday stopping them — a decision that now puts Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) Chief Executive Officer Phillip Mainga, Attorney General Dorcas Oduor and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja at risk of contempt of court proceedings.

It emerged that Superclean Shine Enterprise Limited sued Kenya Railways and the Attorney General in December last year, following an initial threat to demolish the structures opposite Nyayo Stadium.

On the day of the demolition, the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Nairobi issued orders restraining the two from interfering with, evicting or demolishing the property until the application was heard.

Principal Magistrate Muthoni Njagi issued the orders.

“An order of injunction be and is hereby issued restraining the respondents, either by themselves or through their agents, servants or anyone under their authority, from demolishing, destroying and/or in any other manner interfering with the structures erected on all that property known as Plot Number 209/1618 situate along Douglas Wakihuri Road off Lang’ata Road (formerly known as Aerodrome Road), adjacent to Nyayo National Stadium,” the order read in part.

The Attorney General’s office received the orders at 3.08pm, while Kenya Railways was served 15 minutes later.

Act of cowardice

In the case, Superclean told the court that it had leased the property from Kenya Railways and had occupied it for two decades.

Speaking on Wednesday during a visit to the site, where debris from the demolished structures lay exposed, Wamatangi termed the incident “an act of cowardice”.

He alleged the demolition was a political witch-hunt meant to intimidate him, accusing unnamed individuals of abusing government offices to silence him. “Stop using government offices to ruin me. Stop using State offices to destroy my property and intimidate me. This is an act of cowardice,” he said.

The governor claimed the demolition followed several attempts over the past few days.

“They have been coming for the last five days. Every day I receive reports warning me that they are coming and that I should be vigilant,” he said.

He added: “I warned my tenants and workers to stay alert. Unfortunately, they came last night. I sympathise with them.”

Bullets fired

A car wash, restaurant, beauty parlour and liquor outlets, among other structures, were flattened under tight security supervision, with several vehicles also destroyed.

Wamatangi insisted he held a 65-year lease for the land from Kenya Railways.

Holding spent cartridges recovered from the site, he alleged that the destruction — which involved shots fired into the air — echoed a previous incident in which bullets were fired at his home in Kiambu.

“I don’t know whether the bullets were meant to target my life in the darkness,” he claimed.

The governor said he remained committed to delivering on his mandate, insisting he would avoid political confrontation to focus on service delivery.

“I am a development-oriented person. This is intended to silence and intimidate me, and to derail my development agenda so that I become like everyone else,” he said.