High drama unfolded at Senteu Plaza in Kilimani on Monday after a Business Premises Rent Tribunal (BPRT) ruling sparked a tense standoff involving police and dozens of boda boda riders.
Tribunal Judge Cyprian Mugambi ordered the immediate reinstatement of Nairobi billionaire businessman Chris Obure to the disputed premises, ruling that his eviction two months ago by Ajeetkumar C. Shah was unlawful.
The dispute centers on the ownership and sale of the prime commercial property, with official records confirming that Obure, through his company SBS Dunhill East Africa Ltd, paid Sh1.3 billion in a lease-to-own deal.
In his ruling, Judge Mugambi found that Obure had been ejected in violation of his lease rights and directed the Officer Commanding Kilimani Police Station to oversee his return to the property.
The previous property owners, led by Pankaj Shah, had argued that Obure’s lease expired on August 31, 2023. However, the court noted they failed to disclose that the agreement involved a lease-to-purchase arrangement—effectively undermining their case.
Obure has since accused the Shah family of engaging in double-dealing by initiating a separate sale even as negotiations with him were ongoing.
Following the ruling, tension briefly escalated outside the building as Obure’s supporters gathered amid a visible police presence, but the situation was later brought under control. The tribunal has marked the matter as closed.
The ruling now paves the way for Obure to reclaim the contested premises.
