Nairobi News

HustleNews

Nakumatt to claim insurance for Ukay floods damage


Nakumatt Holdings will seek insurance compensation for goods damaged at its Ukay branch in Westlands, Nairobi, following flash floods that soaked the city on Saturday night.

The retail chain Monday said insurance agents and Nakumatt officials were assessing the damage before making the claims.

“The branch just as the rest is insured and the assessment for damages incurred began immediately and is ongoing. There are no timelines for its completion but we expect to get a clear picture of the huge damage once the assessment is complete,” said Nakumatt Holdings spokesperson Alfred Nganga in an interview.

Nakumatt was forced to suspend operations at the Ukay Centre shopping mall branch on Sunday following the deluge.

The torrential rains caused flood water to enter the mall destroying goods and sweeping away many others, resulting in huge losses.

MILLIONS

The loss could easily amount to tens of millions of shillings.

The retailer announced Sunday the outlet will be closed indefinitely.

The Nakumatt Highridge branch will open for 24 hours to meet the needs of customers who previously frequented Nakumatt Ukay.

Nakumatt Ukay had branded itself as an outlet where customers in Westlands, Parklands and the environs (and even beyond) could walk in at any time of the day or night to buy whatever they needed.

The building in which the Ukay Centre branch is located has in the past caused a storm as environmentalists claimed that it is built on a riparian reserve.

JUST A TENANT

Nakumatt has however argued that it is just a tenant, declining to answer questions on the location of the building.

Government officials yesterday remained non-committal on matter. The National Environmental Management Authority (Nema) Acting Director in Charge of Compliance and Enforcement Zephania Ouma said the authority was scrutinising the building’s Environmental Impact Assessment report afresh.

Read the full story here.

SOURCE: Business Daily