Sauti Sol member Bien shut down his club, Manhattan, over the rent problem

 

Bien Aime Baraza, a vocalist for Sauti Sol, along with other directors of The Manhattan, a bar and grill situated on Mombasa Road, has declared that the venue would be closing at the end of the month owing to a disagreement about the rent.

The directors indicated that they were unable to address their disagreements with the landlord, which resulted in the closure of the venue, which was located on the first floor of Imaara Mall on Mombasa Road.

They claim that they were subjected to bullying, slander, and breach of contract violations, notwithstanding the fact that they took steps to address the situation in a peaceful manner, including attempts at mediation.

The directors acknowledged their concern over the closure in a statement that was made on April 5th. They attributed the closure to conditions that they feel constitute a violation of contract, extortion, and exploitation on the part of their landlord, Tuffsteel Limited.

According to a statement released by the directors, "We regret to inform you that The Manhattan has been closed for the past two weeks due to circumstances that are beyond our control. We believe that these circumstances constitute a breach of contract, intimidation, and harassment on the part of our landlord, Tuffsteel Limited."

In spite of the fact that they were making an attempt to reach a compromise with the landlord, they referred to the situation as a "wild goose chase."

Further explanation was provided by the directors, who said that despite the efforts made by their directors, emissaries, and several requests for mediation, there had been no successful settlement achieved. 

As a consequence of this, they have pursued legal recourse in order to safeguard the interests of their company, as well as those of its workers, suppliers, and partners, and they have expressed the hope that justice will be achieved via the judicial system.

"Despite the fact that we have made several requests for mediation and sought to handle the matter in a peaceful manner via our directors and representatives, there has not been a successful conclusion brought about to this point. As a result, we have pursued legal action in order to safeguard the interests of our company as well as the well-being of our workers, suppliers, and other business partners."

Another portion of the statement said, "It is our heartfelt prayer that justice will take root through the legal system."

In addition, they voiced optimism that the legal procedure will result in a favourable resolution and look forward to the venue being reopened in the near future.