Speech by Governor Kimani Wamatangi Following Demolition of His Private Business January 13, 2026, Near Nyayo Stadium

BY KIAMBU MAGAZINE REPORTER

Watu wetu hamjambo?

Bado mko na roho? Hata ikiwa vile ilivyo?

Niseme kwa ufupi kwasababu, Mungu habagui. Na Mungu ndiye anajua njia ya kila mtu naye ndiye hupeana baraka.

Mimi nilianza kazi hapa 1994 nikiwa kijana mdogo. Nilikuwa nauza mandazi na chai ngambo hiyo. Nikakuja hapa nikaanza kuosha magari. Baada ya kuosha magari, nikapanda ngazi kidogo, nikaanza kuuza hayo magari. Baada ya kuuza magari, ndivyo nikaanza haya maneno ya transport.

Nimjilelea hapa kutoka nikiwa kijana, na nilipokuja hapa, nilienda hadi kule kwa watu wa reli, nikachukua lease ya 65 years, na tunalipa kila mwezi, lakini haya ambayo yametokea leo ni mipango ya siasa.

And I am asking myself, when will this political persecution end for me? Kama Gavana wa Kiambu, hii mateso ya kisiasa itaisha ama itafika wapi? Kwa vile mimi nimeajiri vijana wengi hapa hiyo miaka yote kabla ya mimi niende Kiambu kama Gavana.

Nataka niseme kwa wanabiashara wengi ambao waliharibiwa biashara usiku; waliniamini na wakatuamini na wakaweka biashara zao ndogo ndogo MPesa, kuuza chakula, kinyozi, hoteli, wote imebomolewa usiku. Na mimi nasema, poleni kwa hawa. Kwa vile mimi namwamini mwenyezi Mungu yakwamba, vile wachungaji wetu hapa wamesema, wamenifanyia haya lakini mimi mikono bado niko nayo. Wamenifanyia haya lakini akili bado niko nayo.

Na nyinyi wote mnajua, watu wa Nairobi, Kenya yote na Kiambu, wamekuwa wakiona, Gavana Wamatangi nilisema ile kitu nataka kufanya ni kazi, mambo ya siasa sitaki. Na nikafanya hiyo kazi yote mnasikia Kiambu tunajivunia kufanya. Kujenga mahospitali zaidi ya 26, mashule zaidi ya 512, kuweka mataa karibu 24,000 ya solar, kuhakikisha tumejenga masoko 12 na Kaunti, na tuko kwa mfumo wa kutengeneza Barabara. Haya maendeleo yakitokea kule, ndio sasa unasikia sisi huku Kiambu tunasema Kazi Ndiyo Hiyo, Roho Ndiyo Hiyo.

Sasa imekuwa siku tano mfululizo, kila siku tunasikia ikisemekana wamatangi ujichunge kuna watu wanakuja kukubomolea usiku.

Hizi risasi mnaona hapa zilipigwa LIVE hapa usiku. Na swali langu ni kwamba, nyinyi mnajua kuna Sunday nililalamika na nikasema kuna risasi ilipigwa kwangu nyumbani; jana nilijikaza nikasema sitafika hata kama mali inaharibiwa hapa kwa vile sijui hizi risasi zilikuwa zimewekwa zinilenge mimi wakati wa giza.

Lakini nasema, hayo yote wamenitendea, nah ii hasara yote ya mikono yangu, karibu miaka 40, nitawaachia mwenyezi mungu. Naweza kuwa sina nguvu ya kupigana na vigogo, lakini Mwenyezi Mungu yuko na nguvu n ani yeye amenifikisha mahali nimefika. Nikiwa mtoto wa single mother, ambaye hakuwa na baba, na hata mama sasa alikufa, na nikangangana na nikalea Watoto wengine wetu tano mimi nikiwa mtoto wa kwanza. Kutoka kuuza mandazi hadi mahali tumefika, ni Mwenyezi Mungu na atatupeleka mbali hata kutoka hapa. Sisi hatuna wasiwasi, hata haya yametendwa, magari ambayo vijana wanafanya kazi nazo, kuokota takataka, zingine za kuoshwa.

Hiyo gari iko hapo ni gari ya bibi yangu ilipatikana hapo, gari ya white, imepigwa hapo na excavator, mpaka ikawekelewa gari ingine. Lakini sio neno, kwa mkono wa Mungu ziko nyingi. Zitakuja zingine kwani Mungu ndiye hupeana.

Niseme kwa ufupi, hadi 2027 mwaka wa tatu, mimi nitakuwa nikilenga kazi. Wenye wanataka kunivuta kwenye siasa ndivyo watafute njia ya kunimaliza, sitaingia kwa siasa. Lakini 2027 mwezi wa tatu, nitakuwa kwa hiyo siasa, na nitatafutana na kiti ya Gavana wa Kiambu. Na hiyo kiti ya Gavana najua watu wetu wamesema watatubariki nayo kwasababu tumefanya kazi. Wenye wanataka hiyo kiti ya Gavana, mtu akuje kwa uwanja, uwache kutumia nguvu na maofisi ya serikali, kunigandamiza. Kuna watu wanaingia maofisi ya serikali kusawishi wenye wako huko waje ndivyo waniharibie. Na wakuje ndivyo wanibomolee, na hata wanitafutie njia ya kuniharibia maisha.

Nasema washindwe kabisa, na Mungu yuko na sisi.

This is an act of cowardice because I am non-political, I am a development person.

This is intended to silence me and remove me from my development agenda so that I can become like anybody else who as no name.

But I have made a decision that I am going to work for the people of Kiambu, completely, without a single word of politics, until 2027. But that does not mean, I will not run for Governor, I will be the Governor of Kiambu God willing. And the people of Kiambu have decided because of the work we are doing, they are going to give us this seat back.

Kwa hivyo mtutafute Nairobi, mtutafute wapi, sisi tutahakikisha kazi yetu ndiyo itaongea. Mikono hamtatutaka, our vehicles you have destroyed, even my wife’s car, my business vehicles, and small businesses for other people, but you have not cut our hands, we will work.

There was no notice, and if someone has a notice to step out and show us. we have court orders, when we heard the threats and intimidation, and in the night, they came with teargas and LIVE bullets to accomplish what they had intended.

I believe in the Almighty God, and He will fight for me, He will fight for us, and we shall succeed. Hata mkitupiga vita gani, Mungu yuko.

Hii safari itaisha kwa mapenzi ya Mwenyezi Mungu na itaisha vizuri kwa vile Mungu yupo upande wetu. Mbio ambayo nimepelekwa, mtu sione hii masaibu kama imeanzishwa hapa.

Mimi nimekuwa kortini kila saa, accounts za relatives wangu zimekuwa frozen, ndivyo nikishikwa ama nifanywe nini, hakuna mtu anaweza kuja kunitolea bond. Tumeteseka na hao watu; sasa baada ya hiyo naona sasa wanakuja kila siku watu wa EACC wako kwa ofisi, kwangu nyumbani, ndivyo kazi isifanyike. Baada ya hiyo, mateso ya siasa, nikienda hata kwa mikutano, watu wanaletwa kunipigia kelele ndivyo nionekane sina namna kule ground. Lakini baada ya haya yote, hata kupigiwa risasi kwa nyumba, imekuja hadi Nairobi, kutoka Kiambu, ndivyo hapa sasa nimalizwe kibiashara. Lakini nasema haitawezekana kwasababu Mungu yuko juu. Tutafaulu kwasababu Mungu yuko na sisi.

If you worked here for 40 years, what kind of money would you have invested? The loss here is millions and millions of money.

If we do not get justice, because we had a court order, we shall come here together with the clergy, and because I have worked for 40 years, I will come and sit at these demolished structures for 40 days and nights without even water, so I can get an answer for the suffering I am undergoing; until justice is done. What is it have I done such that at work, at home, and even here in Nairobi, I cannot stay in peace? What is it that I have done?

If you look on other directions, you will see other investments remain untouched, except what belongs to Governor Kimani Wamatangi.