Victor Maina is a Thika-based businessman who has invested heavily in real estate, construction, retail and the hospitality industry.
He is also the owner of the famous netted building at the Overseas Transport Company (OTC) stage along Ronald Ngala Street.
The businessman bought the building that hosted Jack N Jill supermarket in 2006 and later demolished it.
Here is his story as told by WoK.
Eviction of Jack N Jill supermarket
Before the famous netted building was put up, premises that hosted the iconic Jack and Jill Supermarket sat there.
In 2013, the building was demolished with Jack N Jill owner, Schon Noorani, suffering heavy losses after looters made away with goods worth millions.
Amidst uncertainties that led to the demolition of the building, it later emerged that Maina had bought the building 7 years earlier.
By the time the building was demolished, Maina had asked Noorani to vacate the premises as he wanted to do some renovations.
However, Noorani was adamant forcing Maina to head to the Business Premises Rent Tribunal citing the dilapidated condition of the building.
When the court approved the renovation of the building, the millionaire supermarket owner was ordered to vacate the premises within one week.
He opposed the order and later headed to court barring Maina from forcefully evicting him from the premises.
The order was later lifted after the Court of Appeal found the grounds unjustified and erroneous.
In May 2013, Noorani was shocked to witness his multimillion investment being brought down brick by brick.
His goods were exposed to looters leaving him with losses amounting to millions.
Netted building
The netted building along Ronald Ngala street at the Overseas Trading Company (OTC) stage was built at the same spot where Jack N Jill supermarket stood.
The landmark building has occupied more than a quarter acre of land and surrounded by iron sheets at the base.
The rest of the building is covered by construction safety nets which have lasted for years.
This week, misleading information across social media platforms indicated that the building had been completed.
However, it later emerged that the building that has a similar design with the OTC building was in Kampala, Uganda.
Further reports showed that the construction of the OTC building is still on with paint works currently ongoing.
Businesses owned by Maina
Maina is also the owner of giant retailer Mathai supermarket with outlets in Nairobi, Thika, Embu, Meru, Karatina and Nyeri.
He also runs Klub Image Hotel in Thika which has rooms that boasts a balcony, a flat screen TV and guests are served with continental breakfast.
Maina is also the proprietor of Klub Liquid Cash in Thika.
The businessman also owns properties including flats, mostly in Thika and a 17-acre piece of land which has been a subject of a prolonged court case.
Ksh 300 million fraud
In 2022, Maina was arraigned in court over an alleged Ksh 300 million land fraud in the case involving businessman Kariuki Muiruri.
Muiruri sold the land to Maina in 2008 for Ksh 9 million, however, Maina paid Ksh 2 million and failed to pay the balance after the agreed 30 days.
Maina was accused of knowingly uttered a transfer document of the land in dispute.
According to Muiruri, upon failing to pay the full sale price of Ksh 9 million, he requested Maina to return the original title, but he never got it back.
Muiruri also asked Maina to go for a refund of the Ksh 2 million he had paid without success.
Muiruri told the court that upon examining the transfer documents, he noticed anomalies because they were not signed by him.
“The ID numbers, the KRA PIN numbers, the photos appended on the transfer forms and the signature were not mine
“When I called Victor over the irregular transfer of the land he blamed his advocate Patrick Ngunjiri for the sale of the land,” Muiruri said.
