‘Vile amebomoa hiyo shule, even his car wash itaenda chini!’ These are the words of Nairobi governor Mike Sonko during a visit to Buruburu on Saturday. Sonko had responded to distress calls from members of a local church and a private school, who had been attacked by goons in broad daylight.
According to details, a well-known city tycoon only identified as Nderitu had hired goons who were armed with pangas to demolish Kinda star Academy and the church. The tycoon has been using court orders to grab land and Sonko was not going to let him get away with it.
The governor was angered by the tycoon’s decision to beat up school going children and kicking vulnerable women in the rain. At least six people were admitted in hospital after the melee.
Earlier today, I managed to stop an attempted grabbing of City Church in Buru Buru, after a land grabber hired goons to demolish structures in the church in a bid to take over the property. It's painful to see children being beaten up, and thrown out in the rain by hired goons. pic.twitter.com/oJH7JfMZc5
— Mike Sonko (@MikeSonko) May 25, 2019
So to get back at the tycoon, Sonko decided to demolish his ‘Pimp my ride’ car wash, which was located at the heart of CBD. The car wash is located on the same plot that the famous Simmers hotel was.
How Pimp my Ride EA went down pic.twitter.com/RqEug5Q3k5
— #BuyerBeware (@JacksonNjeru254) May 27, 2019
And true to his word, city hall officials descended on the building on Monday, destroying it with all the property on it. The businessman has claimed that they have all the required documents to operate at the location and wondered why the county govt would demolish it.
But as we said earlier, the demolition has nothing to do with the building being illegal, but what transpired in Buruburu on Saturday.
City Hall demolishes @pimpmyride_ea located on the controversial land where Simmers used to be; claims its an illegal structure. pic.twitter.com/Uqi4Mdg99i
— Capital FM Kenya (@CapitalFMKenya) May 27, 2019
Interestingly, this is not the first time that a business has been destroyed on the disputed land. In February last year, goons destroyed Simmers Bar and Restaurant, which was owned by former Kimilili MP Suleiman Murunga. The hotel had been in existence for decades.
At the centre of the dispute is alleged rent arrears amounting to Sh7,560,000, legal fees of Sh 756,000 and court brokers charges of Sh910,860.
The Disputed land is opposite 680 Hotel owned by DP William Ruto, and it has been rumored that he could be behind the demolitions, as he aims at turning the land into a parking lot for his hotel.