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Investors seek Konza piece as projects open up area

konza

An impression of the Konza Tochnopolis Park in Malili, Machakos. Information PS Bitange Ndemo has defied the Attorney-General’s opinion over land allocation in a multi-billion shilling ICT park to be built on a 5,000-acre site south of Nairobi. Photo | File

Investors have acquired over 160 acres at the Konza Technopolis amid growing demand due to the implementation of infrastructure projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and expansion of the Nairobi-Mombasa highway that have opened up the area.

Land buyers include hospitals, real estate developers, institutions of higher learning, the National Construction Authority (NCA) and the Kenya electricity transmission company (Ketraco).

Phase one of the Konza project, which sits on a 410-acres of land, is distributed into mixed use (89 acres), university (39 acres), residential (26 acres) and life science (26 acres).

Others include office space(11 acres), retail (eight acres), cultural community (one acre), parks (79 acres) and transportation and other public space (130 acres).

“So far, we are happy to note that the project has realised more than 40 percent uptake. Some of the investors expected to break ground include hospitals, real estate developers and institutions of higher learning, government agencies such as the National Construction Authorit, among others,” said ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Principal Secretary Jerome Ochieng.

The Konza Technopolis, seen as the best proponent of Kenya’s claim to be Africa’s Silicon Savannah, was gazetted as a Special Economic Zone last year by the Trade and Industrialisation ministry for ICTs, business, health and education.

Mr Ochieng said investments that are being eyed for the area include smart manufacturing, light industry logistics, smart agriculture, property development as well as ICT and Information Technology (IT) enabled services.

“Others include pharmaceutical services, education and training institutions, hotels and convention centres, entertainment, recreation and sports facilities, business enterprises among others,” he said.

Konza’s proximity to other Nairobi satellite towns such as Athi River and Kitengela, the latter an emerging hub of horticulture farms, and educational institutions along Mombasa Road also appeals to potential investors.