Nanak House Archives - Daily Trends

Tenants of Nanak House, a long-standing commercial building in Nairobi’s Central Business District, are demanding justice and protection following a series of escalating attacks allegedly orchestrated by landlord Ann Wathatu Ngururi, trading as AVVA Limited, in defiance of multiple court orders.

Nanak House landlady Ann Wathatu Ngururi, trading as AVVA Limited. PHOTO/Courtesy

For more than 20 years, the tenants have operated businesses in Nanak House.

But since September 2024, they have faced intimidation, unlawful eviction attempts, and extortionate demands for rent increases, escalating from Kshs 150,000 to 600,000 per month, plus an extraordinary goodwill fee of Kshs 15 million per tenant.

Despite securing a High Court order maintaining the status quo, blocking the rent hike and evictions, the landlord has allegedly continued to employ intimidation tactics, including cutting off electricity and water, barricading entrances with stones, and sending armed goons to block businesses in broad daylight.

Some of the goons hired to block shops at Nanak House. PHOTO/Courtesy

Tenants and their employees have recounted harrowing scenes inside the building, describing attacks that have left many injured and traumatized.
One of them, Beatrice Munyoki, a businesswoman, recalled the violent encounter she had at her shops entrance.

“I met the goons at the entrance of our shop, one of them wanted to strangle me and was holding a knife. He twisted my handit is still painful. He told me to go inside as many more masked men entered the shop. They closed all the shutters and started stealing goods on the shop shelves,” explained Munyoki.

The situation in one of the shops at Nanak House that was broken into by hired goons. PHOTO/Courtesy

Other tenants say the situation is unlike anything they have ever experienced in the two decades theyve operated in the building.

One of them said the intimidation points to a deliberate attempt to push out long-term tenants.

“What I understand is that the building changed management and ownership. Its been here since 2003. Weve never had issues like this. But now the new owner is trying to bully us, if I may say that. Shes trying to frustrate us because she probably wants new tenants,” said Rex Kimani, a businessman.

Workers have also been caught up in the chaos, fearing for their safety as goons target shops in broad daylight. One of the workers also described how terrifying the attacks have been.

“The goons broke in when we had clients, they started by breaking the shutters. We are shocked that such incidences can occur in the central business district in broad daylight. When the goons entered they started harassing everybody, including our clients. We understand that as workers we have our rights, but we dont know if we are safe,” said an employee at one of the stores who identified himself as Walter.

One of the goons, arrested by workers for his role in the violence, was reported to have mysteriously been released without charge, raising questions about collusion and protection of criminal actors.

Tenants have also raised concerns about judicial impartiality, pointing to rulings that contradict existing court decisions. Allegations of corruption, including claims that a presiding magistrate accepted a bribe, have further fueled their loss of faith in the system.

Tensions have reached a boiling point at Nanak House, a commercial building under the KCB Pensioners Fund, as a long-running dispute between tenants and the landlord takes a darker turn. The tenants, who have operated their businesses at Nanak House for over two decades, have accused the landlord of harassment, unlawful evictions, and blatant disregard for court orders.

The drama began last year when KCB sent a letter to tenants directing them to redirect payments to an unfamiliar owner, a person who had not been formally introduced. This caused confusion and concern among the tenants, who had always paid their rent to KCB. In response, the tenants filed a case in the Business Premises Rent Tribunal (BPRT), citing that payments should only be made to a known landlord or official representative.

However, their legal battle escalated when the landlord allegedly began retaliating by cutting off essential utilities like power and water. This prompted the tenants to report the matter to Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), leading to the arrest of the building’s caretaker for interfering with an independent entity.

In a further escalation of hostilities, the landlord demanded an extortionate 600,000 Kshs from each tenant, up from the previous 150,000 Kshs monthly rent, plus an additional “goodwill” payment of 15 million Kshs from each tenant. This demand has left the tenants, who are preparing for their leases to expire next year, in a state of shock, particularly since their deposits are held by KCB Pensioners Fund, not the landlord directly.

In response to the mounting pressure, the tenants sought and obtained a court order from the Milimani Commercial Court to maintain the status quo, effectively preventing eviction or any rent increase until the dispute is resolved. Yet, this order appears to have been disregarded. On March 19, 2025, the landlord sent a group of individuals to prevent tenants from opening their shops at Nanak House, even after they were served with the court order. The following morning, the landlord took further drastic action, blocking the entrance to the building with stones.

The tenants are now sounding alarms over their security and accusing the landlord, Ann Karanu, of defying legal authority and escalating the situation to a dangerous level. Karanu, identified as the driving force behind the controversial evictions, has not only ignored the court orders but allegedly attempted to bypass legal rulings by seeking new orders from the same court, a move that is considered illegal under Kenyan law.

The saga took another turn on October 29, 2024, when tenants filed a certificate of urgency in the BPRT, challenging the arbitrary rent increase. Although a consent agreement was filed in December, the landlord’s advocate filed a fresh case before BPRT on December 3, 2024. Despite the tenants’ claims of res judicata—that the matter had already been settled—the tribunal proceeded with hearings, and on December 11, 2024, the tenants were ordered to pay the new, exorbitant rent and goodwill fees.

As the tenants continue to face mounting pressure, rumors have surfaced that Magistrate Mike Makori, may have been bribed with 1.5 million Kshs to influence the outcome of the case. These claims have further fueled public outrage, with accusations of corruption and mismanagement clouding the ongoing legal battle.

With legal and financial tensions growing, the tenants of Nanak House are calling for intervention from higher authorities, citing security concerns and the landlord’s ongoing defiance of the courts. As the situation continues to unfold, the outcome remains uncertain, but the stakes for all parties involved are incredibly high.

The dispute at Nanak House has now become a microcosm of larger issues surrounding tenant rights, landlord conduct, and the integrity of the legal system in Kenya. With the tenants determined to fight for their livelihoods, and the landlord seemingly unwilling to compromise, it remains to be seen how this high-stakes legal drama will resolve.

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