Monday, September 01, 2014
The Catholic Church asked a property management firm to profile all its tenants and provide details on the Muslims ones, a court hearing a discrimination case has been told.
Knight Frank Ltd, which was sued with the church by Somali restaurant owners, yesterday said it declined to carry out the profiling.
The firm said the exercise would have validated the bias the church has against the Muslim restaurant owners.
In an affidavit sworn by Margaret Motiri, Knight Frank said it never supported the decision by the church to deny owners of Al Yusra restaurant the right to operate at Waumini House in Westlands because they are Somali.
The response by the property management firm arose out of an application filed by the owners of Al Yusra seeking compensation for breach of contract and discrimination.
They want the court to stop the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops from evicting them.
The also want the KCCB to pay them Sh88 million for loss of business.
Through lawyer Rahma Jillo, the restaurant owners said they have been threatened with eviction.
Court documents show that the property was leased to the restaurant on December 1, 2013 and rent was to be paid beginning February 1, 2014.
As part of the requirement for leasing, the bishops asked for a letter of comfort from Al Yusra owners' bankers confirming that they were operating a viable business.
Motiri said Knight Frank leased the property to the owners.
However, on January 15 the firm said it found out that the church had denied the restaurant owners access to the property.
The church has denied the discrimination.
It said the lease contract was entered into by Knight Frank, which did not have the authority to do so.
It now wants the property management firm to be removed as a party in the case as it is the church that has been sued and "there is no reason to go after an agent".