Kenya Commercial Bank has taken over a milling company owned by Mombasa tycoon Tahir Sheikh Said, also known as TSS.
The bank said it had seized the milling firm after it defaulted on a Sh1 billion loan.
KCB, which has in excess of Sh1 billion non-performing loans with Tahir Sheikh Said (TSS) Unga Millers, issued a notice in May, indicating that it had taken over the running of the miller.
“Notice is hereby given that the above company was placed under administration by Kenya Commercial Bank Limited on May 30, 2016,” the bank said in a recent statement. “None of the directors, shareholders, employees and no other person is authorised to transact any business on behalf of the company without express written consent from the administrator.”
TSS has defaulted on loans in excess of Sh2.7 billion associated with TSS Unga Millers.
The businessman is said to have Sh8 billion in non-performing loans with several banks booked under other subsidiaries in his business empire.
KCB declined to comment on the matter, citing customer confidentiality but sources within the bank said that the bank would dispose of a prime piece of land in Mombasa that the billionaire had charged as security for the loan.
A Wealth in Kenya report for 2014 listed Mr Said as one of the largest land owners in the country.
His fortunes, however, seem to have taken a turn for the worse after the government cancelled title deeds to large tracts of land in Lamu County that were associated with him. Some of the land is said to have been used to secure loans in excess of Sh5 billion from two banks that are listed on the stock exchange.
HE DEFAULTED
The businessman is known to have defaulted on at least Sh1.4 billion loans with NIC Bank and Sh300 million with National Bank.