This archive report was first published on 9 July 2020.
On July 15, 2020, the fate of Nairobi's last remaining movie theatre within the CBD will be decided at an auction. The IMAX 20th Century theatre, located along Mama Ngina Street, is being sold off due to unpaid rent.
The theatre, which was Kenya's first digital IMAX theatre system launched in 2012, has been closed since March 2020, when the first case of Covid-19 was announced in the country.
According to a notice published in local dailies, the landlord of Century Plaza building directed auctioneers to recover property from the cinema hall. The sale will include a wide range of movie theatre equipment, including retractable seats, projectors, TV sets, power back-up units, roof and wall mounted speakers.
Other items up for auction include fridges, glass top tables, chairs, alcoholic and soft drinks, lounge seats, freezers, ice cube makers, and cookers. Interested bidders are required to pay a refundable deposit of Sh100,000 to obtain a bidding number.
IMAX 20th Century was the second commercial screen for IMAX in Africa, after Morocco, and could accommodate 255 people seated at a go. The theatre was a significant addition to Nairobi's entertainment scene, offering a unique cinematic experience to movie lovers.
