Auctioneer raids Uchumi supermarket in Mombasa over rent
The Moi Avenue branch of Uchumi Supermarket in Mombasa was closed on April 24, 2018 after auctioneers carted away goods over rent arrears. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
The auctioneers took away a variety of goods, including foodstuffs, clothes, shoes and vegetables, as police stood guard.
Makini Auctioneers official Tom Nyandika said they were taking goods to a warehouse awaiting further orders from the court.
The action followed a court order issued by chief magistrate Julius Nang’ea on April 5, 2018.
An auctioneer in Mombasa on Tuesday descended on Uchumi Supermarket, Moi Avenue branch, and carted away goods worth millions of shillings over unpaid rent.
The retailer has accrued rent arrears running to Sh12 million.
Youth hired by Makini Auctioneers loaded the goods into trucks outside the supermarket as workers watched helplessly.
Senior management of the chain store refused to speak to the media about the matter. The auctioneers took away a variety of goods, including foodstuffs, clothes, shoes and vegetables, as police stood guard.
Makini Auctioneers official Tom Nyandika said they were taking goods to a warehouse awaiting further orders from the court.
“The rent is long overdue. They were given a notice but they did not pay and the rent arrears are coming up to Sh12 million,” he said.
The auctioneer said the landlord had given the supermarket a notice.
“The owner got a court order to access the supermarket. The notice period for rent remittance was 14 days but they were given almost three months more to pay,” said Mr Nyandika.
The action followed a court order issued by chief magistrate Julius Nang’ea on April 5, 2018.
