City hall demolishes business complex located on former Simmers club land

**Business complex bulldozed in Nairobi.**

Josphat Thiong’o

Loss in millions as City hall demolishes business complex located on former Simmers club land

Property worth millions of shillings was yesterday destroyed as officers from city hall demolished a business complex located on the former Simmers club land.

The complex is located at the junction of Kenyatta Avenue and Mundi Mbingu Street in Nairobi’s Central Business District.

The owners of six businesses located opposite 680 hotel woke up to the dreaded site of a bulldozer in front of their business before they were unceremonious thrown out without any clear reason from the inspectorate officers.

Businesses located on the land included “pimp my ride” car wash, “Chapa copy” a photocopying business, an Mpesa shop, an electronics shop as well as a stall selling urban wear.

Daniel Muraya an Mpesa shop owner and seller of electronics including phones said the traders were accosted by inspectorate officers who introduced themselves and proceeded to arrest the workers. They however did not give any clear reason for the arrests.

“I have been operating from this place for the last one year. I have lost a Sh2 million investment. I had taken a loan and was waiting for returns from the business to help me repay the loan I had taken to start this business but clearly that will not be possible now,” stated Muraya.

Another business owner who only chose to be identified as Anthony said that the owner of the property had already moved to court challenging the demolitions and seeking compensation from the county government.

“No notices to vacate were issued neither was there any form of communication that we should vacate our businesses. This is an unacceptable loss and we pray that justice will prevail,” said Anthony.

Popular Club Simmers and restaurant in Nairobi's Central Business District was demolished on 3rd March 2018 after it was closed by Nema and City Hall Enforcemnet unit over noise pollution, officials say. Simmers has been in operation since 1980's and is one of the famous and oldest open air club in the city. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard]

Sought for comment, officials from city hall however declined to comment on the issue. They said they were not authorized to speak and referred this writer to the Governor who was unavailable.

A county director who spoke on condition of anonymity however confessed that there was no court order issued for the demolition and that the officers were acting on “orders from above”.

The director further hinted that the demolition was linked to an incident where Governor Mike Sonko halted the demolition of a church and school in Buru Buru. He said that the individual responsible for evicting the church and school from the Buru Buru land was also the owner of the land where simmers formally stood.

“This is a result of a tiff between the Governor and the owner over the controversial Buru Buru land but I am shocked that is has ow come to this,” he remarked.

In a video taken on Saturday, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko was recorded saying that the car wash business sitting on the land does not have approval and the business will be brought down.

This is however not the first time that demolition is being carried on the piece of land stark in the heart of the central business district.

In March 2018, a contingent of officers descended on the former popular club simmers located on the same piece of land. The demolition squad descended on the property in the middle of the night and flattened it.

The owner, former Kimilili MP Suleiman Murunga has been in a protracted legal battle with the family of former Finance minister Arthur Magugu, which says it co-owns the property with Nilestar Holdings Limited.

The restaurant has also been facing problems with the county government over land rates.