Sarit Centre is one of Kenya’s oldest and most iconic shopping malls, situated in Westlands, Nairobi.
It opened in 1983 and has since developed into a large mixed-use complex combining retail, office space, dining, entertainment, and events.
The shopping complex is called “a City within a City”. It was established by the late Sobhagayachand Vidhu Shah and Maneklal Rughani.
The two close friends decided to build Sarit after recognising the business potential in Nairobi.
Shah and Rughani’s initial plan was to create a Text Book Centre with multiple branches in Nairobi and Kakamega.
However, the plan changed after they visited a shopping centre in London and decided to adopt the concept in Nairobi.
They began construction in the 1970s.
Challenges arose due to the 1982 coup attempt, which forced Shah and Rughani to scale back the project.
Vidhu Ramji Shah named it Sarit after one of his children when it was finally completed.
Sarit Centre officially opened on 27 April 1983 with just two tenants: Uchumi supermarket chain and Buchabhai’s own Text Book Centre.
The centre faced financial challenges but started turning a profit five years after its inception.
Expansion and Growth
Sarit Centre’s success encouraged the owners to continually adapt to changing market demands.
The pair was motivated to expand the complex to keep up with market conditions and customer needs.
The plan included adding a gym, a cinema, and a food court.
Sarit Centre underwent a significant expansion in 1995.
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Shah and Rughani increased the size of Sarit and introduced new facilities to meet customer demands.
It underwent another transformation in 2015 to position it as “a City within a City.”
The redesign incorporated modern design elements to create an environment beyond typical shopping centres.
Today, Sarit Centre hosts over 70 retail and service outlets, including brands such as Carrefour, LC Waikiki, Woolworths, Nairobi Sports House, Nokia, and Bata.
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Current Owners of Sarit Centre
Rughani passed away in 1997, leaving Vidhu Shah as the head of the company, who also died in 2021.
Shah left behind five children—Rashmi, Nishma, Sima, Lina, and Sarit.
Sarit Nitin Shah is currently serving as the CEO, while Atul Shah manages the financial affairs.
Mansur Kasmani acts as the Operations Manager, overseeing daily operations.
Other Businesses
Shah is also the founder and proprietor of Text Books Centre, among other business ventures.
He was the father-in-law of Deepak Shah, owner of Strategic Consulting; Nippol Shah, owner of Dunhill Consulting; and Sujeet Shah, owner of Rosewood Furniture, who owns Rosewood Furniture.
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