Taj Mall owner Mr Rameshchandra Govino Gorasia is counting losses after a bulldozer began the demolition of the multi-million property on Saturday morning.
The exercise, which began at 6.30 a.m., comes weeks after the Gorasia dared the government to bring down the property.
Members of the public attempted to carry away some of the materials from the demolition site, but security blocked them. The exercise is, however, being undertaken in the absence of officials from the county government including Nairobi Regeneration Committee chair Moses Nyakiongora.
Only one machine from the National Youth Service is being used to bring down the property. The decision to demolish the building was reached after it was discovered to occupy land reserved for road expansion.
The government had given the owner until August 31 to vacate but he defied the directive. While addressing the press, the manager of the mall insisted that the demolition is unconstitutional.
The owner is yet to break silence since the demolition started.
Earlier on, Nairobi governor Mike Sonko had maintained that all properties on public land will be demolished regardless of the owner. President Uhuru Kenyatta has also backed the demolition in an effort to restore the public land.
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