The anticipated Friday official opening of the Ksh.9.6 billion Bunge Tower has been rescheduled for next week.
The news was made on Thursday night by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, who stated that the launch, which was scheduled to be presided over by President William Ruto, had been postponed due to the untimely passing of General Francis Ogolla, the Chief of Defense Forces (general).
Along with nine other military personnel, General Ogolla perished in a helicopter crash on Thursday near the Sindar area in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
The Bunge Tower will now open on Thursday, April 25, starting at 9 a.m., according to Speaker Wetangula, who also serves as the chair of the Parliamentary Service Commission.
“As you are aware, tomorrow, Friday, April 24, 2024, President William Ruto was scheduled to officially open the Bunge Tower. However, this evening, in his address to the Nation, His Excellency the President announced the unfortunate and untimely demise of General Francis Ogolla, the CDF, who died in a helicopter crash alongside nine other gallant officers this afternoon. Following the tragic event, the President has announced three days of national mourning. In view of the foregoing, this is to notify you that the official opening Ceremony of the Bunge Tower that was scheduled to take place tomorrow has been postponed,” Wetangula wrote in a letter to MPs.
“The official opening ceremony has been rescheduled and will now take place next week, Thursday, April 25, 2024, starting at 9:00 am,” he continued.
Wetangula emphasized the building’s importance and the long-awaited completion of the Parliamentary complex in a communiqué to the lawmakers on Wednesday.
In addition, he threatened to take disciplinary action against Parliamentarians who spoke out against the Bunge Tower without enough information, threatening to bring them before the Committee on Powers and Privileges.
