Nairobi has grown a lot in the past decade, making it tricky for first-time visitors or those returning after a long time because so much has changed. For anyone new to Nairobi, knowing the city’s landmarks is important for finding your way.

Some important landmarks in Nairobi include the Kenya National Archives, Odeon, KICC, and Imenti House, among others. Imenti House is located in the CBD and is bordered by Moi Avenue, Tom Mboya Street, Kenyatta Avenue, and Cabral Streets.

Imenti House is a large rectangular building with curved edges, housing hundreds of stalls and businesses, including restaurants, clothing stores, shoe shops, and beauty salons. Outside, there are matatu stages for various routes, like Kasarani.

The iconic building is owned by the Meru Central Coffee Cooperative Union (MCCCU). It was purchased in 1975 by the then Meru Central Farmers’ Cooperative Union (MCFCU) for Sh. 9 million through a Cooperative Bank loan.

Since then, Imenti House has been owned by the MCCCU and is now a major revenue stream, bringing in over Sh. 8 million monthly in rent. This income helps fund the union’s activities and operations.

Recently, the building’s owners denied selling it after speculation arose when around 200 tenants were evicted from Imenti House. The union’s CEO, Duncan Marete, confirmed that the coffee union still owns the building.

The evictions were due to an anchor tenant who hadn’t paid rent for several years, with the debt reaching Sh. 5.8 million.

“We have had a problematic anchor tenant who has not been paying the union for several years. The tenant known as Shariff Mohamed owes the union Sh. 5.8 million. We got an order to have him auctioned and this is why the tenants who were under him have been affected,” Mr Marete said.

The evictions were carried out under a court order issued by Principal Magistrate Becky Cheloti of Milimani Commercial Court. Among the affected tenants were General Tech Sol Agency, Hamza Mohamed Hajo, Mohamed Abdullahi Hajo, Galgalo Jattani, and Liflo Electronics.

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Last month, Milimani Principal Magistrate Sammy Opande rejected an application from these anchor tenants, which aimed to prevent MCCCU from interfering with their occupancy of shops in Imenti House.

In his ruling, the Magistrate instructed both parties to meet and resolve the issue of the rent account status with the help of their lawyers.

On the morning of August 15, tenants from the building took to social media to protest what they called a two-hour notice to vacate the premises.

“The tenant has been collecting rent but has not paid the union for several years. We had to seek the intervention of the court to recover our arrears,” the CEO said.

The union has denied all claims that the building has been sold, stating that they have no intention of selling the prime property. In the past, it announced plans to upgrade Imenti House into a 25-storey building in effort to increase income.