• This year’s Madaraka Day celebrations will be held at Masinde Muliro Stadium.
• Patrick Wangamati, the proprietor of the building, on Sunday trashed claims that he acquired the land through illegal means.
Image: TONY WAFULA
Image: TONY WAFULA
Former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati family has been dealt a blow after their Sh500 million building was demolished at night to pave way for construction of Masinde Muliro Stadium.
This year’s Madaraka Day celebrations will be held at Masinde Muliro Stadium.
Patrick Wangamati, the proprietor of the building, on Sunday trashed claims that he acquired the land through illegal means.
Speaking in Bungoma town, he said the plot was advertised in 1968 by the government that sought an investor to run a petrol station.
Wangamati said he was shocked to learn his building was among those mapped for demolition to pave way for the expansion of the stadium.
“I did not obtain this land illegally. It was advertised. I applied and got it, I was running to a petrol station called Ajip petrol station,” he said.
Wangamati said he has run businesses in Western region for a long time and he has never grabbed public land.
“If I’m a land grabber I could own huge pieces of land in Webuye because that is the town that I have operated in for a long time,” he said.
Wangamati said during his reign as the chairman of the chamber of commerce, he partnered with other organisations to develop Bungoma county.
He accused the Bungoma government of disobeying a court order that was granted to suspend demolition of the building.
“I’m really disappointed with this move,” Wangamati said.
He said the county government should develop the town further not demolish buildings.
Wangamati told the Star he leased the land for 99 years and the demolition of the building is a huge blow to his family.
“The government should invite us and discuss to see how they can compensate me and my family,” he said.
Former Governor Wangamati said, “They deployed over 100 cops around this area. They may have thought that the Wangamati family had something to hide.”
The former governor said his father was an employee of the old Elgon Nyanza District Council that comprised Bungoma and Busia and he worked in the department of revenue collection and internal audit.
“My father worked in that position from 1958 to 1965 in that department of revenue collection and there was no time he was accused of stealing anything for the seven years he was an employee,” he said.
The former county boss said after he resigned and moved to Webuye, he set up a business where he rose in politics and became the first chairman of Webuye town council.
“During his reign as the chairman of Webuye town council, a number things and flagship projects happened in Webuye,” he said,
The former governor said his father did not grab any public land.
In January this year, people around the stadium were given seven days to remove buildings on public land.
He said as law-abiding citizens, they went to court within those seven days and got an injunction. He said the hearing happened two weeks ago.
“The judge found it better to give an extension of the injunction for a further six months so that we can hear the whole case,” he said.