A Nairobi businesswoman has filed a case seeking over 7 million shillings from a businessman she claims sent money for business development.
Ayni Hussein Mahamud, the woman, claims that while working in the UK, she was sending money to Abdihakim Saisi Jama, alias Mohammed Hussein Noor, for the purpose of opening the business, but Noor allegedly opened the business under his name instead.
Ayni says that in 2019, she intended to start a business selling clothes in Easleigh. The woman, who was at the time living in the UK, says that she trusted some of her family members who were engaged in other businesses in Nairobi.
According to her, Abdihakim Saisi Jama alias Mohammed Hussein Noor, offered to help her out and was employed on a monthly salary of 40,000 shillings.
She says that Noor told her that he has the knowledge and experience in the cloth line . Ayni further says that she raised the entire capital and identified a place in Eastleigh where they would run the business
“The plaintiff solemnly purchased stock of lady clothes from Guangzhou , China for her intended business in Nairobi, Kenya.
However, Ayni claims that when she attempted to register her business officially, she was told that because she was a foreigner, she needed to obtain an investor permit in order to conduct business in Kenya in her name. She had to return to the United Kingdom to obtain the necessary documents in order to process the business permit.
“In the meantime the defendant together with the plaintiff who is also a citizen of United Kingdom went to the UK , leaving behind the defendant not only to sell but also to complete the process of registering the business,” read court papers.
Ayni claims that in the year 2020, there was Corona and she was unable to return to the country to check on the business, so she agreed that the business would begin in her name while she waited to return to officially register the business.
She claims that while she was in the UK, she was able to control and monitor the business via a video camera installed in the shop, and that the defendant confirmed to her that she was the sole owner of the business and agreed to hand over the business once she returned.
“Meanwhile the plaintiff while in the UK kept on ordering more stock from China and sending more stock from China to the defendants to increase the business in the belief that the defendant was acting in good faith as was their original arrangements.
Ayni claims she returned to the country in August 2021 and was surprised to discover that the defendant had registered the business in his own name.
According to Ayni, Noor also refused to hand over the business to her, claiming that he owns it.
However, Noor has denied the allegations levelled against him, claiming that he never took the money without Ayni’s consent and that no substantial profits were made as a result of Corona.
