Demolition of Nairobi’s Airgate Mall Begins

The demolition of Airgate Mall, formerly Taj Mall in Nairobi's Embakasi area began on Saturday morning.

The demolition is part of the ongoing crackdown on structures erected on road reserves and riparian land, which is being supervised by the Nairobi Regeneration Committee.

The flattening of the shopping complex located along Outer Ring Road comes after the 14-day notice issued to its owner, billionaire Rameshchandra Govino Gorasia last month elapsed. The exercise kicked off at about 6:30 am with heavy police presence in the area.

Last month, Gorasia vowed not to bring down the building as ordered in the two-week notice and dared the government to flatten it itself.

“I am saying this openly to any authority, I am not going to remove this structure, not even to my death! If they want to remove it, they come and do it themselves,” an irate Gorasia said at the time.

“Whoever is ordering this demolition stop hiding, come out and face me, I am not scared of anything,” he added.

Some other buildings demolished in the ongoing operation in Nairobi include South End Mall, Java House and Shell Petrol Station in Kileleshwa, as well as a section of Hindu Religious Centre, Oshwal in Parklands.