Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi is reeling from heavy financial losses after authorities demolished his businesses near Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi during a dramatic midnight operation on Wednesday. Police officers stormed the area shortly after midnight, firing teargas canisters and live rounds to disperse workers and bystanders before bulldozers moved in to flatten the premises.
The destroyed properties included a car wash, a car dealership, a car parts shop, and several other businesses that had operated at the site for years. In the chaos that followed, vandals reportedly damaged more than five vehicles, compounding the losses.
Governor Wamatangi arrived at the scene later and condemned the demolition, describing it as an “act of cowardice.” He accused unnamed individuals of using government offices to sabotage his work and disrupt his efforts to serve the people of Kiambu.
“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.
Claims of live bullets and intimidation
Wamatangi also raised serious alarm over the alleged use of live ammunition during the operation along Douglas Wakiihuri Road off Lang’ata Road. He said the aggressive manner in which officers carried out the demolitions shocked him, especially after what he described as five straight days of warnings.
“They fired live bullets when they came for demolition. There was one Sunday I complained about bullets being fired at my home. Yesterday I said I would not come,” Wamatangi said.
He questioned whether the gunfire targeted him personally, asking, “My question is, were the bullets supposed to be aimed at me? They fired in darkness,” he claimed.
A lifetime of work wiped out
The governor also spoke emotionally about the destruction of a business hub he said he had built over nearly four decades. He recounted how he started from humble beginnings before growing into a successful entrepreneur.
“I want people to know that I started work here in 1994 when I was a young boy. I used to sell tea and mandazi on the other side then I moved here and started washing cars. After time, I stopped washing cars and instead started selling cars. Then I got into the transport business, I went to Kenya Railways and got a lease and I pay every month,” he explained.
Wamatangi described the demolition as politically motivated and questioned when what he called persecution against him would finally stop.
“I have employed so many youth in all those years. There are a lot of businessmen here. I want to say I am very sorry for them for what has happened. They trusted me and set up small businesses here: Mpesa shops, small hotels, barber shops, all have been brought down,” Wamatangi said.
He also insisted that authorities did not issue him with any formal notice before moving in.
“…We have court orders that were signed when they first destroyed my property. Yesterday they came here with tear gas and live bullets,” Wamatangi said.
Court battle over Kenya Railways land
The demolition came just days after Wamatangi, through his company Superclean Shine Enterprises, went to court seeking protection from what he described as repeated verbal threats to evict him from the land.
In a petition filed at the Milimani Commercial Magistrates’ Court, he stated that Kenya Railways owns the land but has leased it to his company for more than 20 years. He added that his firm has consistently paid rent, which Kenya Railways has allegedly received and acknowledged throughout that period.
The petition also claims that people said to be acting on behalf of Kenya Railways visited the property in December and issued verbal orders to vacate without serving any formal eviction notice.
According to the court filing, such actions violate constitutional protections on property rights and breach the eviction procedures outlined in the Land Act.
“Throughout this period, the Applicant has duly paid rent which has been consistently received and/or acknowledged by the 1st Respondent (Kenya Railways Corporation), thereby affirming a valid and subsisting tenancy under which the Applicant has established and continuously operated a business on the premises with the knowledge and acquiescence of the 1st Respondent,” the petition adds.
Wamatangi vows to stay focused on development
Despite the dramatic events, the Kiambu governor insisted that he remains focused on development and service delivery rather than political fights.
“I am non-political and a development person. This is intended to silence me and intimidate me, and to remove me from my development agenda so I can become just like everyone else,” he said.
Wamatangi reiterated that he will continue working for Kiambu residents until March 2027 before actively campaigning again.
“I have made a decision that I’m going to work for the people of Kiambu without a single word of politics until March 2027. But that does not mean I will not run for governor,” he said.
He also expressed confidence that voters will return him to office.
“I will be the Governor of Kiambu, God willing, because the people of Kiambu have decided that, because of the work we are doing, they will give us this seat back,” he said.
“Tutahakikisha kazi ndio itaongea. Mikono hamtatukata.”
The governor urged political rivals to conduct their campaigns fairly and to stop using state machinery to interfere with his property or disrupt his development agenda.
Additional photos below.
