Suppliers of goods to troubled Nakumatt set to meet on Saturday

Dar es Salaam. Suppliers of goods to Nakumatt Supermarket now plan a meeting on Saturday to discuss how to salvage what the troubled retailer owes them.

This comes after Nakumatt Mlimani City outlet was closed by the land lord after the former’s failure to pay rent by Monday, October 16.

Speaking to The Citizen on Tuesday, October 17, Mr Joseph Mlay, who chaired the taskforce for suppliers of goods to Uchumi Supermarket—another Kenyan retailer that closed shops unceremoniously in 2015—said the meeting aims, among other things, establishing the exact number of suppliers and how much they were still owed by the firm.

“We don’t know yet how many of us there are and what is the amount owed. I’m sure that the money Nakumatt owes us in totality might be equal that that owed to us by Uchumi or even more,” he said.

He added that, most Nakumatt suppliers from Tanzania were the very same ones who used to supply goods to Uchumi.

“Most suppliers are on a panic mode at the moment. We’ll meet on Saturday to form a task force that will make follow up,” he said.

He said Nakumatt happened to be the best option for suppliers after the closure of Uchumi.

According to reports, Nakumatt’s rent debt has accumulated to Sh300 million at Mlimani City Shopping Mall.

The Kenya based firm has been in financial doldrums for some time both in Kenya and Tanzania, raising concerns that it would take the direction of Uchumi Supermarket that closed shops about two years ago.