As you might be aware, the popular Simmers Bar and Restaurant in the heart of the city was last Friday brought down after 21 years of operation.
Bulldozers descended on the club last Friday evening and by 10 pm, it had been reduced to smithereens, bringing to an end an iconic entertainment joint and a long-drawn court battle.
The club, sitting on a prime open space at the junction of Kenyatta Avenue and Muindi Mbingu Street, belonged to former Kimilili MP Suleiman Murunga. He has moved to court arguing that Nelister Holdings Limited and Green Valley unlawfully and forcefully evicted him.
The businessman has enjoined the National Land Commision and the office of Attorney General in the suit.
He says there was a temporary order granted on December 24, 2013, restraining the two companies from evicting him and pulling down his establishment.Murunga adds that he is worried that the two companies may at any time commence construction of permanent structures defeating the course of justice and his legal interest in the suit property.
He wants the directors of Nilestar Holdings Limited and Green Valley Limited to be detained for a period not exceeding six months for reasons of disobeying court orders.
The businessman said their actions were “callous, fraudulent, illegal and contemptuous of the orders of the court and is in gross abuse of the judicial process.”
The court directed Murunga to file and serve the court papers to the respondents and appear for inter-party hearing in April.
There have been allegations that Murunga has been using goons and bribing his way around to stop the rightful owner from accessing the land. He denies the allegations, saying he owns the land and has the documentation to prove.
The 61-Year-Old has vowed to make a comeback, saying: “We will be back soon. Tell people not to worry.”