Imenti House owners: We have not sold iconic building, we only have a problem with anchor tenant
Imenti House proprietors have denied selling the iconic building located in Nairobi City’s central business district.
Speculation was rife that the building owned by Meru Central Coffee Cooperative Union (MCCCU) has been sold after about 200 tenants were evicted from Imenti House on Thursday.
MCCCU chief executive officer Duncan Marete said the building is still owned by the coffee union, which was acting against an anchor tenant who has failed to pay rent for several years.
“We have had a problematic anchor tenant who has not been paying the union for several years. The tenant known as Shariff Mohamed owes the union Sh5.8 million. We got an order to have him auctioned and this is why the tenants who were under him have been affected,” Mr Marete said.
A court order issued by Principal Magistrate Becky Cheloti of Milimani Commercial Court, Shariff Mohamed, General Tech Sol Agency, Hamza Mohamed Hajo, Mohamed Abdullahi Hajo, Galgalo Jattani and Liflo Electronics are listed as the affected tenants.
Last month, Milimani Principal Magistrate Sammy Opande dismissed an application by Shariff Mohamed, Hamza Mohamed, Mohamed Abdullahi and Galgalo Jattani seeking to have MCCCU barred from interfering with their occupation of shops in Imenti House.
In his ruling, the Magistrate directed both parties to “have a sit down and agree on the issue of rent account status, through their advocates.”
On Thursday, August 15, morning, tenants who have been operating stalls in the building took to social media to protest what they termed as a two-hour notice to vacate the premises.
“The tenant has been collecting rent but has not paid the union for several years. We had to seek the intervention of the court to recover our arrears,” the CEO said.
Mr Marete dismissed claims that the building has been sold saying the union does not intend to sell the prime property.
MCCCU, then Meru Central Farmers’ Cooperative Union (MCFCU) acquired Imenti House in 1975 at a cost of Sh9 million through a loan offered by Cooperative Bank.
The union had in the past announced plans to upgrade Imenti House into a 25-storey building in efforts to enhance its income.
According to MCCCU chairman Ephantus Majau, the union earns more than Sh8 million every month from the property.
