Konza Technology City

Konza Technology City

Location	Makueni County
Developer	HR&A Advisors, Inc
Construction cost	Kshs 1.2 trillion
Architect	SHoP Architects
Size	2,000 ha (5,000 acres)

Konza Techno City is a BPO project that is being marketed by the Kenyan government through Kenya ICT Board. It is dubbed "where African silicon savannah begins".

The park is set to host business process outsourcing (BPO) ventures, a science park, a convention centre, shopping malls, hotels, international schools, and health facility project was allowed by the Parliament Account Committee and endorsed by the Kenyan Government. The city will be located in Makueni County. It will be built on 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of land 64 km south of Nairobi.

The project is estimated to cost 1.2 trillion Kenyan shillings (approx US$14.5bn). The project is marketed as key driver of 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:

• HR&A Advisors, Inc.; A real estate and economic development advisory firm specialising in large-scale master plan implementation.
• SHoP Architects: An architecture and planning firm creating the conceptual design for the sales pavilion and the urban design for Phase 1.
• Dalberg Global Development Advisors: An international strategy consulting firm with a Nairobi presence advising on economic strategy, tenant outreach, and organisational strategy for the KOTDA.
• Center for Urban and Regional Planning: A Nairobi-based physical planning firm preparing the Local Physical Development Plan for Konza
• OZ Architecture: A design firm providing sustainability strategies for Konza.
• Tetra Tech: An international engineering services firm developing the infrastructure concepts for Konza.

KOTDA

Konza Technopolis Development Authority’s (KOTDA) mission is to ensure that Konza grows into a sustainable world-class technology hub and a major economic driver for the nation, with a vibrant mix of businesses, workers, residents, and urban amenities.

As Konza grows and evolves, KOTDA will evolve with it. At its inception, KOTDA will be a lean and efficient organisation that has the ability to draw upon external consultant resources for expertise it does not yet have in-house. Over time, KOTDA will grow from a minimally staffed organisation in its first few years to a fully formed organisation by the end of Phase 1, although external resources and expertise will likely continue to play a role to some extent. As Konza becomes a larger and more established city, KOTDA will increase its city management and service provision role.

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.

External links

• Official website