Post by Onyango Oloo on Feb 2, 2015 14:22:20 GMT 3
www.the-star.co.ke/news/harban-singh-and-properties-he-owns
Excerpts from the Star article:
The man who had fenced off part of the playground for the Lang'ata Road Primary School is a multi-billionaire with interests in construction, aviation, horticulture, property, tourism industry and fishing just to name a few.
Harban Singh Amrit could rank among one of the wealthiest Kenyans but his riches are linked to dirty deals stretching way back to the days of the founding father of the nation Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and later his successor Daniel arap Moi.
The man popularly referred to as Amrit in the Asian community in Kenya, is also believed to be behind the grabbing of large tracts of prime land in Nairobi together with the one time commissioner of lands the late Wilson Gacanja.
Some of the land he grabbed and the property he developed can be found along Waiyaki Way, Mombasa Road, the plush Lavington area, Westlands, city centre and upper hill area among others.
The Star in its investigations through various contacts managed to piece together the properties owned by Amrit including some of which he has sold running into billions of shillings. We may not conclusively know how much Amrit is worth but his close friends, associates and family members confirmed that he is a wealthy man.
Some of the properties are landmarks in the country in which blue chip companies are housed leaving one to wonder whether they know the history associated with their acquisition.
He is credited with putting up most of the education institutions associated with Moi including the kabarak school and university in Baringo, Sunshine and Moi educational Centre in Nairobi and most of the school's scattered all over the country named after Moi.
Due to his links to Moi he was the main contractor for the government and all the national cereals and produce board (NCPB) silos were done by his company.
Those who worked close with the businessman confess that he exaggerated the costs for each of the projects he did for Moi and ensured he made massive profits or negotiated for a bigger stake for himself.
A shrewd businessman who many say is a sweet-talker, Amrit is said to carry himself as an architect when in real life he is a draughtsman that surrounded himself with the best architects in the market whom he used to build his massive empire.
The businessman made numerous promises to speak to us regarding his wealth and properties but for more than a week he failed to honour any of our appointments.His excuse was that he was unwell.
The father of three boys is the man who owns the land and structures on which the three Safaricom houses along Waiyaki way now stand. The one near Sarit Centre and which hosts the Human Resources department is built on the grabbed land that belongs to the Nairobi Westlands City sub-fire station.
It is not known how Harban managed to get the land. But given that he was a close friend of retired President Moi and a confidante of the then lands commissioner it is no surprise that he could get all the prime land in the city.
The Safaricom headquarters where the chief executive Mr Bob Collymore sits is constructed on land belonging to the provincial administration. It is telling that next to the house are the offices for Westlands DO.
Ensconced between the Safaricom house and the Pizza Garden restaurant is a rather new skycraper, Skypark Plaza where the National Police Service Commission sit. This also belongs to the tycoon.
In Westlands area, Amrit is a joint owner of three buildings along Woodvale with businessman Manek Shah and former vice-president the late Prof George Saitoti. The value of these properties are believed to run into hundreds of millions at the current valuation.
Towards the Spring Valley police station in the same location is an imposing Hindu temple. The land on which the temple stands was grabbed by Harban Singh Amrit and the late Gacanja. It was then sold to the Hindu council by the two. We could not quantify how much the two made.
In Parklands area behind the Simba Union complex is another parcel of land that was grabbed by both Amrit together with another of his partners, Mukesh Gohil. The tycoon claimed that the land belonged to the Union to be used as a crematorium. However, there is no access to it and his attempts to negotiate with the Simba union to create a road have failed. When he made all these moves, Amrit was the chair of the Sikh Supreme Council.
Still in Westlands area and now along Rhapta road, he has an imposing office not far from the Rehema House. He has named his offices, Rehema House apartment. Amrit is the one who was asked to put up Rehema house for the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya.
Harbans Singh Amrit
Eka Hotel, Mombasa Road, Nairobi
New Rehema House, Westlands, Nairobi
Old Safaricom House, Waiyaki Way, Nairobi
View Park Towers, CBD, Nairobi
Sky Park, Westlands
Excerpts from the Star article:
The man who had fenced off part of the playground for the Lang'ata Road Primary School is a multi-billionaire with interests in construction, aviation, horticulture, property, tourism industry and fishing just to name a few.
Harban Singh Amrit could rank among one of the wealthiest Kenyans but his riches are linked to dirty deals stretching way back to the days of the founding father of the nation Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and later his successor Daniel arap Moi.
The man popularly referred to as Amrit in the Asian community in Kenya, is also believed to be behind the grabbing of large tracts of prime land in Nairobi together with the one time commissioner of lands the late Wilson Gacanja.
Some of the land he grabbed and the property he developed can be found along Waiyaki Way, Mombasa Road, the plush Lavington area, Westlands, city centre and upper hill area among others.
The Star in its investigations through various contacts managed to piece together the properties owned by Amrit including some of which he has sold running into billions of shillings. We may not conclusively know how much Amrit is worth but his close friends, associates and family members confirmed that he is a wealthy man.
Some of the properties are landmarks in the country in which blue chip companies are housed leaving one to wonder whether they know the history associated with their acquisition.
He is credited with putting up most of the education institutions associated with Moi including the kabarak school and university in Baringo, Sunshine and Moi educational Centre in Nairobi and most of the school's scattered all over the country named after Moi.
Due to his links to Moi he was the main contractor for the government and all the national cereals and produce board (NCPB) silos were done by his company.
Those who worked close with the businessman confess that he exaggerated the costs for each of the projects he did for Moi and ensured he made massive profits or negotiated for a bigger stake for himself.
A shrewd businessman who many say is a sweet-talker, Amrit is said to carry himself as an architect when in real life he is a draughtsman that surrounded himself with the best architects in the market whom he used to build his massive empire.
The businessman made numerous promises to speak to us regarding his wealth and properties but for more than a week he failed to honour any of our appointments.His excuse was that he was unwell.
The father of three boys is the man who owns the land and structures on which the three Safaricom houses along Waiyaki way now stand. The one near Sarit Centre and which hosts the Human Resources department is built on the grabbed land that belongs to the Nairobi Westlands City sub-fire station.
It is not known how Harban managed to get the land. But given that he was a close friend of retired President Moi and a confidante of the then lands commissioner it is no surprise that he could get all the prime land in the city.
The Safaricom headquarters where the chief executive Mr Bob Collymore sits is constructed on land belonging to the provincial administration. It is telling that next to the house are the offices for Westlands DO.
Ensconced between the Safaricom house and the Pizza Garden restaurant is a rather new skycraper, Skypark Plaza where the National Police Service Commission sit. This also belongs to the tycoon.
In Westlands area, Amrit is a joint owner of three buildings along Woodvale with businessman Manek Shah and former vice-president the late Prof George Saitoti. The value of these properties are believed to run into hundreds of millions at the current valuation.
Towards the Spring Valley police station in the same location is an imposing Hindu temple. The land on which the temple stands was grabbed by Harban Singh Amrit and the late Gacanja. It was then sold to the Hindu council by the two. We could not quantify how much the two made.
In Parklands area behind the Simba Union complex is another parcel of land that was grabbed by both Amrit together with another of his partners, Mukesh Gohil. The tycoon claimed that the land belonged to the Union to be used as a crematorium. However, there is no access to it and his attempts to negotiate with the Simba union to create a road have failed. When he made all these moves, Amrit was the chair of the Sikh Supreme Council.
Still in Westlands area and now along Rhapta road, he has an imposing office not far from the Rehema House. He has named his offices, Rehema House apartment. Amrit is the one who was asked to put up Rehema house for the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya.
Harbans Singh Amrit
Eka Hotel, Mombasa Road, Nairobi
New Rehema House, Westlands, Nairobi
Old Safaricom House, Waiyaki Way, Nairobi
View Park Towers, CBD, Nairobi
Sky Park, Westlands
