Location Makueni County Construction cost Kshs 1.2 trillion Size 2,000 ha (5,000 acres) | Developer HR&A Advisors, Inc Architect SHoP Architects Website www.konzacity.go.ke | |
Konza Technology City is a large technology hub planned by the Government of Kenya to be built outside of Nairobi.
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Konza Technology City is a business process outsourcing (BPO) project that is being marketed by the Kenyan government through Kenya ICT Board. It is dubbed "where African silicon savannah begins". According to the Konza information website, the project wants to attract business process outsourcing, software development, data centres, disaster recovery centres, call centres and light assembly manufacturing industries; and build a university campus focused on research and technology as well as hotels, residential areas, schools and hospitals. It is also intended to include a science park, a convention centre, shopping malls, hotels, international schools, and a health facility.
Konza Techno City was allowed by the Parliament Account Committee and endorsed by the Kenyan Government. The project will be built 64 km south of Nairobi on the way to the port city of Mombasa, on 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of land in Makueni County. It is estimated to cost 1.2 trillion Kenyan shillings (approx US$14.5bn). It is marketed as a key driver of Kenya’s national development plan, known as Kenya Vision 2030.
Design team
The Ministry of Information and Communications (Kenya) and International Finance Corporation (IFC) engaged Master Delivery Partner 1 (MDP1) to prepare a detailed business plan and master plan for Phase 1 in July 2012. The Expression of Interest for this assignment attracted 22 firm responses, narrowed to 6 in a shortlist. The Ministry and IFC selected the team led by HR&A Advisors, Inc. of New York City leading a 6-firm international team:
Development
The initial feasibility and concept master plan was prepared jointly by Deloitte and Pell Frischmann, a UK based design consultancy and funded by the International Finance Corporation. At that stage, the project brief was limited to a Technology Park of 280 ha (700 acres) with BPO/ IT businesses at its core. During the feasibility study, Pell Frischmann proposed a city – Konza Technopolis to make the technology park a more viable destination. The Kenyan government agreed and commissioned a new master plan for a city of 2,000 ha (5,000 acres) that was completed by Pell Frischmann. World class infrastructure, sustainability and inclusive growth were the key drivers of this master-plan. The brand identity of Konza Technopolis as “the Silicon Savannah” and supporting promotional materials by Pell Frischmann and Urban Graphics, crystallised the Kenyan Government’s vision of creating a world class city, powered by a thriving IT sector and generating 100,000 jobs by 2030.