Nairobi motorists enjoy free parking as firms fight over property lease

Business along Nairobi’s Kenyatta Avenue was disrupted today (Saturday) after three companies engaged in row over a parking lot.

The row was sparked by a controversy over the legitimate firm contracted to manage the over 700-parking slot space adjacent to Finance House.

It is reported that the National Social Security Fund, which owns the car park, had transferred the lease from the original contracted firm to a new firm.

Motorists who had parked at the parking lot were forced to hurriedly move their vehicles to avoid damage.

Drama began after the current holding company – Real Appraisal Limited’s lawyer appeared on the site with court orders barring new ownership of the parking lot, thus attracting attention of the warring parties and parking attendants.

In the court papers, the aggrieved parties stated that they got the tender at Sh1.7million rent monthly each, totaling to Sh3.4 million monthly, while the said new bidder is said to have been offered the parking at Sh2.6 million monthly raising questions on how the tender was awarded.

It took the intervention of police calm the situation.

Each party had independent security personnel, forcing the OCS Central police station to show up in person accompanied by police officers to help maintain order.

The OCS also said that he had been served with documents from the NSSF directorate citing that the new parking management was to take charge of the lot from January 1, 2016.

Meanwhile, vehicle owners are enjoying free parking, as it is not clear who to pay parking fees to.