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Friday, November 22, 2024

The Richest People In Ukambani And Businesses They Own

The Eastern region of Kenya famously known as Ukambani has without doubt produced some of the richest people in Kenya. From flamboyant politicians to...
HomebusinessBillionaire Owner Of Eka Hotel And A Former Safaricom Landlord

Billionaire Owner Of Eka Hotel And A Former Safaricom Landlord

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Harban ‘Amrit’ Singh was one of the richest people in the country and a close ally of the late Hon. Daniel Moi. One of his prestigious properties is the famous Eka Hotel located close to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the Nairobi National Park.

He had interests in various industries from aviation, horticulture, construction, property to fishing. It is reported that Singh made his billions in the real estate sector.

Here is the story of Harban ‘Amrit’ Singh as told by WoK,

Wealth and Properties

During the Moi regime, he secured huge deals from the government. He was contracted to construct Moi Girls High Schools across the country and other schools. Reportedly, he also received tenders to construct National Serials and Produce Board (NCPB) silos.

Apart from the construction tenders, he also ventured into horticultural farming. He owned the 300 acre Aquila horticulture farm in Naivasha which sold flowers.

His vast wealth included a shopping company in Kisumu and seven acres  of land in Upper Hill.  He was also reportedly linked to Airport View Villas along Mbagathi and Rehema and Chelsea Park apartments along Rhapta Road.

The late businessman was also linked to a number of prime properties within Nairobi which are home to parastatals and corporates.

He constructed View Park Towers in the Central Business District and later sold it to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Apart from being the landlord of Safaricom at their Westlands headquarters, he was also linked to Skypark Towers along Waiyaki way.

Corruption Allegations

While allegations of corruption often followed the businessman, he always managed to sail through.

He was accused of  land grabbing and inflation of costs in real estate deals with the government.

One such accusation came to light in 2022 when the Informer reported that according to a petition to NLC, the late property tycoon and billionaire was accused of grabbing the Kenya Railways land and demolished Kenya Railways senior staff housing before securing the area way back in 1999. H

e was said to have acquired the land through two proxy companies identified as Excel Enterprises Limited and Piccadilly Holding Limited. In another instance the public had also condemned his move to fence off part of the playground of Lang’ata Primary School.