Nairobi, KENYA: Airgate Centre formerly known as Taj mall has been demolished two weeks after the expiry of notice of demolition given by the State’s committee on unsafe buildings.
The exercise, which started at around 6:30am on Saturday, saw the SANY excavator bring down the mall which was partly sitting on a road reserve.
On August 16th, the owner of the mall, Rameshchandra Gorasia, was given until 31st August to demolish the mall, but failed to do so.
“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,” read the letter signed by the Multi-Sectoral Committee on Unsafe Structures chairman Moses Nyakiongora.
The mall which is located along Outer Ring Road, Embakasi, was officially opened in August 2011.
Taj Mall becomes the latest casualty of the ongoing demolitions in Nairobi to reclaim riparian land joining South End mall in Lang’ata, Ukay Centre in Westlands, part of Visa Oshwal centre, Shell petrol Station and Java outlet in Kileleshwa among others.
