Konza launches five year strategic plan aims to complete first phase of infrastructure development by 2020

With regards to infrastructure, the authority has concluded procuring a contractor to finance the construction of streetscape and sub-surface utilities, wastewater treatment, laying of fiber optic as well as power distribution and substations set up.

Konza city’s five year strategic plan is part of a larger government ICT strategy that has already commissioned the digital literacy programme, the constituency digital innovation hubs, the completion of the National Optic Fibre Backbone Infrastructure, Digital migration and the Presidential Digital Talent Programme.

According to KOTDA CEO John Tanui, the authority has been experiencing challenges surrounding governance, financing, as well as human resources when it comes to attracting high end talent in smart city development, that hopes will be addressed by the plan.

Other latest developments at the city include the successful procurement of a design consultant for the Korea Exim Bank funded university, the Kenya advanced institute of science and technology to begin in January 2017.

So far, a number of support infrastructure for investors is already in place following the completion of a 132 KV power substation and the supply of over 2,000 cubic meters per day of water to sustain on-site construction.The Technopolis will also benefit from Thwake dam which shall provide the long term water needs of the city.

In addition the dualizing of the 20KM Athi River-Machakos Junction road will help ease congestion along the main higheay that feeds into Konza enabling easy access to both Nairobi and the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport cutting travel time significantly.

In September, The municipal company Tel Aviv Global signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development of Konza, as part of the DLD Tel Aviv Innovation Festival of 2016.

As of November 2016, The construction of the first building in Konza Technopolis had begun. The 8-storey building with two basement floors will host the techno city operations and house its early investors and innovators, the second phase of the building will have a hotel and a conference facility.

The Kshs 3 billion facilities to be built in phases will see the first phase costing Ksh. 1.9 Billion consisting of office block completed in 114 weeks. It is expected that the project will cost Sh600 billion, with 10 per cent of the funds being contributed by the government.

So far the government says it has received over 60 bids from businesses that wish to take up space on the initial 24 parcels of land set aside for leasing. The final firms to occupy this space will be selected early next year.

KOTDA also says that six local universities have shown interest in setting up campuses within the techno city