Standoff That Forced Shut Down Of Club 1824 [EXCLUSIVE]

Social media in Kenya went berserk on Wednesday, December 20 after photos emerged of the popular Langata-based entertainment joint, 1824 which was reportedly closed down.

The photos that circulated on X (formerly Twitter) showed furniture strewn outside the entrance with heavy police presence as the workers removed chairs and tables from the premises.

Speaking to Viral Tea, a source privy to matters regarding the entertainment joint confirmed that the establishment was closed owing to a dispute between the landlord and the owner.

The disagreement emerged after another tenant expressed interest in taking over the premises and had offered an amount which was more than what the owner had been paying for.

Inside 1824 club which was closed in 2020 for breaking COVID-19 protocols. /STANDARD DIGITAL

Another source indicated that the club would be opened in another location, though did not reveal when this would happen.

The management of the club was yet to issue notice to its revellers over their closure and their next course of action.

Several Kenyans had linked the closure to new developments surrounding one of its directors, Wilson Nahashon Kanani, whose assets worth Ksh643 million were frozen by the High Court.

The club, which has been on the radar of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), has been the subject of investigations regarding the accumulation of wealth belonging to Kanani, who was working as a Development Control Officer of the Nairobi County government and earning a salary of Ksh55,866 per month.

EACC wants the court to order the forfeiture of Kanani's assets which include land, apartments, cars, and cash, to the State, alluding that the assets were disproportionate to his monthly salary. The case is still active in court.

EACC claimed that Kanani, an employee of the Nairobi City County Government, used his position to influence the award of tenders and contracts to companies linked to him or his relatives.

According to court documents, Kanani despite earning a Ksh55,000 monthly salary had received and channelled Ksh506 million through bank accounts in his name and family members between January 2016 and October 2022.

He was also accused of acquiring several properties worth over Ksh100 million using the proceeds of crime.

In a chain of controversial episodes, Club 1824 in 2020, through its parent company Seventeen Forty-Nine Ltd, sought court orders to allow it to resume operations amid the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, explaining that it had lost more than Ksh45 million in the eight months of night curfew and pub closures.