Goods belonging to Nakumatt are scattered at its head office in Nairobi
on April 1, 2018, following the retain chain's eviction from an NSSF
building. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Property worth about Sh200 million belonging to Nakumatt
Holdings cannot be accounted for after auctioneers, led by the National
Social Security Fund (NSSF) and security officers raided the firm’s
outlet at Hazina Trading Centre early Sunday morning.
outlet at Hazina Trading Centre early Sunday morning.
The
auctioneers, who had hired close to 120 youth, loaded merchandize into
trucks and offloaded them at the retailer’s headquarters off Mombasa
Road, Nairobi, giving looters an opportunity to cart them away.
Nakumatt
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Atul Shah said the
raiders arrived at the store a few minutes to midnight, took goods from
the shelves and loaded them into 12 trucks.
LOOTERS
He said the men who led the operation contracted people on the spot to remove things from the hall and take them to trucks parked outside.
He said the men who led the operation contracted people on the spot to remove things from the hall and take them to trucks parked outside.
“The security guards called me and told me that the people there were accompanied by Administration police officers.
"He
said they were issuing contracts for people to sign outside, I called
the Central Police Station but they could not act immediately since
there were other police officers there,” Mr Shah said.
He
added that he could not tell whether all the goods were taken to their
headquarters and others diverted, and some looted outside their head
office.
Looters outside the head office pounced on the electronics, foodstuff, bicycles and clothing.
EVICTION
They used the chain’s trolleys and carts to take away whatever they could, leaving papers strewn outside the gate.
Some of them hired taxis and motorcycles to transport the loot as they celebrated “the free Easter” goodies.
Most of them were from the Mukuru slums and neighbouring estates.
“There
was no court order to evict us or prior warning. This came without our
knowledge and we have decided that we will take legal action against
NSSF for the destruction of property.
"This is illegal and apart from repossessing the premises we had rented, we will sue,” Mr Shah said.
ARREST
Central Police Station OCPD, however, said the police arrested the auctioneer and the NSSF head of Security, Samuel Omondi, whom, he said, led the operation.
Central Police Station OCPD, however, said the police arrested the auctioneer and the NSSF head of Security, Samuel Omondi, whom, he said, led the operation.
“They are in our custody and we are trying
to find out what orders they were acting upon, before we can arraign
them in court on Tuesday,” Mr Thuku said.
Employees at
the Supermarket said the people who raided the store removed all the
merchandise and dismantled the shelves before leaving.
In
December, the Hazina Trading Centre evicted Nakumatt from its premises
due to rent arrears amounting to Sh73 million. The eviction would have
paved the way for NSSF to continue with the construction of the
building, which has fallen years behind schedule.
The national pensions body sealed its main entrance and clamped vehicles belonging to Nakumatt, blocking clients from accessing the premises.
The national pensions body sealed its main entrance and clamped vehicles belonging to Nakumatt, blocking clients from accessing the premises.
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