Authorities to Taj Mall owners: Bring it down in two weeks

Airgate Centre Mall formally known as Taj Mall. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

The Government has given owners of Airgate Mall formally known as Taj Mall two weeks to demolish it.

In a notice to the public, the Government said the mall encroaches on a land reserved hindering the construction of the Outering Road.

Occupants/ tenants at the Airgate have been asked to immediately vacate the building prior to August 30, 2018.

“Upon the expiry of this notice, the illegal development will be demolished or removed from the road reserve and wayleave at the owners/ developers risk and cost,” the notice read.

The building is situated along the North Airport Road, at the junction of Outering Road.

The owner of the building on Thursday morning dared authorities to demolish the building.

Addressing reporters an angry Rameshchandra Govind Gorasia requested the demolition squad to pull down every bit of the building.

However, he also pleaded to President Uhuru Kenyatta to turn the facility into hospital, market or school saying that there was no need to bring the building down as it does not occupy public land.

The mall was officially opened on August 1, 2011 by then vice president Kalonzo Musyoka. 

On Wednesday, two churches and five residential buildings were demolished in Dandora for being on land belonging to the Kenya Railways.

The residents claimed that they had all documentation showing that the former area chief and district officer sold the land to them and allegedly gave them allotment papers.

National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) had issued an eviction notice in May and which lapsed on August 8, 2018.

The environmental watchdog and Nairobi County government have been demolishing buildings constructed on riparian land and those on road reserves within the city.

The demolitions started in Kibera, Nairobi where residential houses were brought down to pave way for construction of Ngong Road-Kibera-Kiungu Karumba-Langata Link Road.

Last week Nema bulldozers also descended on Java restaurant in Kileleshwa, Southend Mall along Langata Road and Ukay Mall that was located in Westlands.