Uhuru’s Nephew and PA Jomo Gecaga Entangled in Sh950,000 Rent Row with Former Nairobi EvansGovernor Evans Kidero

President Kenyatta’s personal assistant Jomo Gecaga has sued his landlord, former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero over a Sh950,000 rent row.

Through a company named JSTA Limited, Gecaga wants the court to stop Kidero’s GemInvest Limited from evicting him from an apartment on Nairobi’s Riverside Drive over unpaid rent arrears. 

GSTA’s attorney Anthony Gikaria argues that the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic affected his client’s ability to meet monthly rental obligations.

The situation was further aggravated by the imposition of tough Covid-19 containment measures by the government and the international community, which destabilized local and global trade, GSTA adds.

Gecaga, who is also Uhuru’s nephew, pays a monthly rent of Sh540,000 but the amount was slashed to Sh240,000 between June and September due to the pandemic.

Lawyer Gikaria avers that his client will be greatly prejudiced and embarrassed should the court fail to block GemInvest from instructing auctioneers to levy distress and evict Mr. Gecaga.

He further wants GemInvest barred from harassing, illegally evicting Gecaga, or interfering with the tenancy agreement. 

"We had indicated our commitment going forward to at least pay on a monthly basis Sh250,000 commencing September to December while awaiting the resumption of normalcy," says JSTA.

GemInvest issued JSTA with a tenancy termination notice on September 17th requiring it clear outstanding rental arrears totaling Sh950,000, renovate the apartment, and vacate by September 30th. The company threatened court action if the two conditions were not met.

In court papers, JSTA terms GemInvest’s move to terminate its tenancy agreement as harsh, saying it failed to take into consideration the economic crisis occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The court certified the case as urgent with Milimani principal magistrate A. Makau directing it be heard on Tuesday, October 6th.