Varsity’s mapping deal sets the stage for Konza takeoff
The first phase of the project to build a technopolis is expected to start in the second half of the year. FILE
University of Nairobi Enterprise Services (Unes) has been awarded a Sh30 million contract to map out infrastructure lines and lease plots at the Konza Technopolis, setting the stage for the implementation of phase one of the project.
The ICT ministry and Unes will sign the contract, which cabinet secretary Fred Matiang’i said will kick start the project at the site on Friday. Phase one will cover 410 acres and is expected to create 16,675 direct jobs upon completion.
Dr Matiang’i said that the exercise would take two months and will involve demarcating the parcels of land according to their allocated use.
“Unes will mark the entire 5,000 acres and this will enable us to put the plan we have on paper on the ground by clearly indicating which institutions and infrastructure such as roads are placed where,” said Dr Matiang’i.
This comes as the ICT ministry seeks Sh3.7 billion from the Treasury in the next financial year, meaning the work could start in the second half of the year.
The US firm was initially expected to start work in December and guide the first phase of the multi-billion shilling project to be implemented from 2013 to 2017.
This has, however, fallen behind schedule mainly due to delays in passing a law it needed to enter into contractual obligations with financiers.
The draft Konza Technology Development Authority Bill is currently with the Attorney-General and is expected to go to the Cabinet for approval any time before it is tabled for debate in the National Assembly.
Konza Technopolis is one of the flagship projects of Vision 2030 development blueprint meant to position Kenya as East Africa’s information technology hub. Phase one of the project requires $750 million (Sh63.8 billion) to complete.
The Konza development plan puts third parties at the centre of its execution, with the government offering land, legal backing and approving architectural plans.
The government is also expected to build primary infrastructure for the technopolis. It has already dug 10 of out of 28 planned boreholes on location and built a police post.
Construction of a power sub-station and the Sh16 billion Thwake Water Dam are expected to begin in the coming months.
The technopolis is expected to host various amenities, including research centres, a university complex, offices, residential houses and parks.
Last year, the Kibaki administration announced it had struck a deal for concessional loans with Brazil, Russia, India and China to finance roads, railway, telecommunication, water and sewerage networks within the 5,000-acre technology park.
Konza is also expected to host foreign and local business process outsourcing companies, a science park, a convention centre, shopping malls, hotels, international schools and health facilities.
The government is offering investors a 99-year lease, with a 25-year payment plan. The arrangement is to be reviewed after a decade with the Treasury as the custodian of the land.
That window is, however, restricted to investors who are able to quantify and prove the significance of their business to the Kenyan economy.
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