Companies
Landlady wants Trattoria owner cited for contempt
Thursday February 02 2023
Trattoria Restaurant at the junction of Standard and Wabera Streets. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG
The owner of the building that houses Trattoria Restaurant now wants the proprietor of the eatery cited for contempt over the failure to furnish her with approvals for the installation of water tanks among others items in the building.
Ms Joaninah Wanjiku Maina says the proprietor Gaetano Ruffo has failed to table documents approving the installation of 1000 kilogram gas cylinder, cold room storage, water tanks and smoke extractor in the building, as directed by the court.
The Town House owner has accused Mr Ruffo of placing the items at the fire exit and fire assembly point.
Ms Maina has also accused the county government of failing to table the approvals as directed by the court in July 2017.
“The 1st respondent (County government) and the interested party (Ruffo) continue to violate public health laws, rules and regulations and as a result, pose a danger to the lives and wellbeing of the members within the vicinity of Two House, which is located at the heart of the Central Business District,” she said through her lawyer Kethi Kilonzo.
The restaurateur has been on the premises since 2005. Ms Maina and the tenant have been embroiled in a court fight since 2013 after she protested his alleged move to block exit passages and fire assembly point by placing the gas cylinders and water tanks.
Mr Ruffo on his part claimed that goons descended on the premises in 2013 and damaged a smoke extractor fan, disconnected storage water tanks and attempted to destroy the gas cylinder and the cold room.
Ms Kilonzo said she sought for copies of the plans submitted by Trattoria, minutes of meetings relating to the approvals and building, which was allowed by the court.
She said the county government and Mr Ruffo are yet to comply with the order and are, therefore, in contempt of the orders of the court.
The lawyer now wants the executive in charge of health, wellness and nutrition and the county government, and Mr Ruffo summoned to court to show cause why they should not be cited for contempt.
