Taj Mall to reopen as Outering road users complain of poor pathways

When Taj Shopping Mall launched seven years ago, Rameshchandra Gorasia, the mall owner appeared to have gotten everything right; the location, at the intersection of Outering Road, Airport North Road and Airport South Road was conveniently accessible, the surrounding area had a high population and malls in Kenya were at the height of their popularity.

After its launch in August 2011, the four-storey mall, which is valued at Shs 5.5 billion, boasted of immense success, hosting businesses such as Uchumi Supermarket and Bata, which brought in high traffic.

This was until the National Land Commission (NLC), in a joint initiative with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), announced that part of the establishment would be demolished as it lay on land that was illegally acquired.

Since then, the mall has endured a steady and humbling fall from grace, after tenants vacated the premises fearing loss to their businesses, bringing down the number of tenants from more than 150 to just 12.

In recent times, the sprawling mall has been synonymous with anything but shopping. Lately, the building has come to be known as a lifeless landmark, occasioned by countable businesses and occasional shoppers, the largest group of visitors being the hundreds of Pipeline residents who conveniently use the premises as a shortcut when moving between Airport North Road and Outering Road.

Now, the mall is set for a relaunch on January 19, as Gorasia hopes this move will turn around the dwindling fortunes of the shopping mall.

Already, the name has changed from Taj Shopping Mall to Airgate Centre and renovation works are in progress to transform the now dreary face of the building premises.

Additionally, the mall has a new anchor tenant, Rams Supermarket, an international retailer from the island country of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Speaking to The Standard two weeks ago, Mr. Gorasia was positive that the new supermarket would satisfy the shopping needs of the residents of the populous area, while breathing new life into the mall.

Meanwhile, traffic and confusion outside the mall remain rampant, caused by the loading and off-loading of passengers by matatus along the road, due to lack of a service lane, which was supposed to have been built on the land currently occupied by the mall.

After KURA redesigned Outering Road to save the mall, it was rumoured that Deputy President William Ruto had acquired a stake in the mall’s ownership. However, Gorasia denied the claims, insisting that the ownership of the building had not changed.

“I was an innocent buyer. I did not grab the land. In fact, I will be suing for damages. A lot of negativity was extended to this business for no reason,” added Gorasia. He also affirmed that the threats to the building’s existence would not recur, even as KURA insists that it will still build a service lane in the area, yet there is no space between the road and mall.