Mombasa billionaire TSS dies in South African hospital

Mombasa billionaire Tahir Sheikh Said, popularly known as TSS, has died at a hospital in South Africa.

The 75-year old died on Tuesday morning at Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg while undergoing treatment, said his family.

“We received the news this (Tuesday) morning from our brothers who had accompanied him to the hospital where he had gone for treatment two weeks ago,” said his son, Mr Mohammed Said, at the family’s home in Kizingo, Mombasa.

He said his father had succumbed to a recurring infection.

“The infection gave him a lot of problems, which were putting him at risk and forced us to take him there (South Africa) for further treatment. He was also diabetic and had high blood pressure. Basically, it (his death) was due a lot of contributing factors,” he said.

He added that his father had been responding well to treatment and that he had died a “normal’’ death. His remains were expected to be flown to Mombasa last night.

“We are expecting to receive the body today (Wednesday) and once it arrives, it will be prepared here before it is taken to Masjid Nurein for prayers of the dead,” said Mr Said, adding that the tycoon would be laid to rest at Saragoi Muslim Cemetery.

When the Nation visited the home, relatives and friends were making burial preparations.

Mombasa County Transport and Infrastructure Executive, Tawfiq Balala, who visited the home, described the businessman as among “role models of Mombasa people”.
“We send our condolences to the family, we all know TSS and he was somebody who came from a humble beginning. He worked very hard to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in this country and we are saddened today by the news,” said Mr Balala.

TSS was a well-known, wealthy and influential businessman since the Moi era, and had invested heavily in transport and milling companies.

LARGEST LAND OWNER

A Wealth in Kenya report for 2014 listed TSS as one of the largest land owners in the country.

His businesses include TSS Transporters — a passenger bus service company that plies the Nairobi-Mombasa and Mombasa-Lamu routes, TSS Service Stations and TSS Grain Millers in Shimanzi, Mombasa.

Meanwhile, a case filed in a Mombasa court by the tycoon and his companies against a bank’s credit facilities, appears to suggest his business fortunes may have taken a downturn.

In a witness statement filed in court, TSS said that he, in 2015, began receiving notices from banks and was shocked to learn that from 2010, his companies had borrowed massively without his knowledge.

Among the notices is a June 15 2015 letter from the Bank of Africa demanding payment for an outstanding amount of $4,897,094.71 (nearly Sh500 million) and on August 4, a second letter from the same bank demanding the settlement of another $4.9 million.

Last year, the tycoon, Juja Coffee Exporters, TSS Transporters and TSS Investments sued the Bank of Africa and Kaab Investments, owned by TSS’s brother-in-law Mr Aweys Mohamed Ahmed. The tycoon was seeking orders for a declaration that Juja Coffee Exporters Ltd was not indebted to the bank. The case is still pending.

ACTIVE DIRECTOR

In the papers filed in the High Court, Mombasa, TSS argued that he had been an active director with full control of the three companies until 2009 when he fell ill and entrusted the running of Juja Coffee Exporters to his children — Amina, Tauhida, Osman and Mr Ahmed.

“I had entrusted my children and brother in law in the running of the company and had faith that they would conduct the operations well and not compromise the interest of either company or any company entrusted to them,” said the businessman.

He said his three children and Mr Ahmed had betrayed the trust bestowed on them to enrich themselves. He said that the borrowing and additional facilities were not restricted to Bank of Africa Ltd and were extended to several other banks including the National Bank of Kenya and NIC Bank.

He claimed Mr Ahmed was close to some officials and managers of the Bank of Africa and other financial institutions and that he was certain they conspired to use “our” assets to fund his personal company.

According to the billionaire, it had never been his intention as the three companies’ majority shareholder and director to enter into any liabilities and additional borrowing for any purposes since Juja Coffee Exporters Ltd was financially sound.

He told the court that upon asking whether there had been any notices or resolutions to approve the facilities, he was told there were none.

He said TSS Transporters , TSS Investments and himself did not know what was going on until they received a notice.