Nairobi businessman Brian Yongo in multi-million tenancy lease row

BY VITALIS KIMUTAI

NAIROBI; KENYA: A Nairobi businessman at the centre of a controversy in which a company has attached assets and bank accounts of the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) over a breach of a Sh564 million contract is embroiled in a tenancy lease dispute of a multi-million residential house in the upmarket Kitisuru Estate.

Bryan Yongo has allegedly refused to vacate the rented house, which he had offered to purchase at Sh45 million from a family of Asian origin.

Yongo, who has prominently featured lately in the media over startling claims against senior counsel Ahmednassir Abdulahi and Erad Suppliers and Contractors Ltd director Mr Jacob Juma on the circumstances surrounding the NCPB deal, did not advance a deposit or full payment to the seller of the property.

Trading as Neptune Credit Management Ltd, Yongo rented the house from Mr Jigisha P Jani in the case at the High Court in Nairobi. The property measuring 0.1958 hectares on Kitisuru Road, Nairobi, was initially registered as Title Number 5667, Land Reference Number 7741/269 (original number 7741/102/5) and delineated on Land Survey Plan Number (159263) under Alnashir Abdulkarim Chatur Popat. But ownership changed hands after the property was transferred to Ms Jigisha Pankat Jani and Mr Sailesh Jani who are joint owners.

Monthly rent

Court documents which The Standard has state that Yongo has been living in the house and paying a monthly rent of Sh199,650 as of February 12, 2008, but had offered to purchase it from Jani.

But the sale agreement did not go through as he allegedly did not pay the Sh45 million that had been negotiated with the owner according to documents at the Lands Ministry.

Jani is represented by EM Washe and Company Advocates while Yongo is represented by Olaly Chech.  Jani has furnished the court with bounced cheques and several demand letters to Yongo to pay outstanding rent and accuses him of failing to deposit a down payment for the house.