Government to buy and demolish multimillion Kahama Hotel in Nairobi

Gov't to demolish Kahama Hotel in Ngara

Mwangi Gathanwa

June 7, 2021 10:26 AM

The billionaire family also owns K1 Klub House in Nairobi.

Kahama hotel in Ngara near Globe Roundabout

The government has announced plans to buy the iconic Kahama Hotel near Ngara and then demolish it in plans to construct a new terminus on Globe Roundabout area.

The hotel is owned by the family of the late billionaire James Mwangi Kirung'o alias Kahama.

The family whose net worth is pegged at more than Sh2 billion also owns the K1 Club House, another Kahama Hotel in Mombasa and Small World Country Club.

Kahama hotel in Ngara near Globe Roundabout Pulse Live Kenya

The National Land Commission (NLC) is set to cough up billions of shillings in acquiring the hotel among other properties such as a section of the highly contested Grogan area.

The acquisition of the hotel is likely to spark sibling rivalry in the billionaire’s family following a nasty fight in 2019 where his daughters took their brothers to court over property ownership.

According to the sisters, their father’s will appointed their mother - Eunice Mwangi - as sole administrator. Their brothers, however, manipulated the widow and took over the property, locking them out.

Their father left a will, which has been kept top secret, and appointed their mother as the sole administrator. The will did not share out the billionaire's estate.

The family also owns a residential house in Parklands and an apartment building in Kilimani area.

CBD Decongestion

The acquisition is part of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services’ (NMS) plan to construct a terminus at Globe Rounabout.

The Globe roundabout bus terminus is part of NMS’ plans to ease traffic congestion within the city. Other termini include Green park, Muthurwa, Fig Tree, Desai, Park road, Workshop road, and Bunyala road.

Green Park is at the final stages of completion and NMS

NMS is also considering a plan to convert the Machakos Bus station into an underground parking centre.

“We are in the process of developing underground parking at Sunken Park and eventually Machakos Bus Park will be turned into an underground parking area,” said Major General Badi.

NMS will be using the underground parking space at Holy Family Basilica as a benchmark for its own construction.

Holy Family Minor Basilica has a parking capacity of 516 slots, split into four levels all of which are underground.

Mwangi Gathanwa