Konza City to create 250,000 jobs by 2030

NAIROBI, KENYA: At least 250,000 jobs will be created upon completion of the Kenya's first Silicon Valley, Konza City by 2030.

Konza Technopolis Development Authority boss John Tanui said already 17,000 jobs have been created in the ongoing earthworks on first 400 acres of the 5000 acre project.

Assuring investors that the Vision 2030 flagship project is on course as per the plan, Tanui said so far, they have received some 400 Expression of Interest both solicited and unsolicited from persons who want a share of the Sh600 billion project.

Among the investors include seven Kenyan universities which will be integrated in the Sh10 billion Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) whose design works are expected to start in April 2017 and be completed by November 2018.

University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Multi Media and Technical University of Kenya are some of the institutions to be incubated at KAIST.

KAIST is a Korean sponsored project and is expected to inject the latest advanced knowledge in technology to the country through its Kenyan subsidiary.

"Such huge projects need anchor tenants and for our case we have KAIST. With this graduate school we will attain the right pace towards developing and advancing Information Communication Technology," said Konza Technopolis Board Chair Reuben Mutiso on Monday while giving an update of the project.

Tanui said part of the strategies put in place in fast tracking the project is the land policy that is already working and construction of basic infrastructure that has seen an additional 2000 cubic meters of water added to the 1200 cubic meters water borehole.

Also, the city is now electricity secure with the completion of both the Konza sub station and Machakos substation injecting 73 megawatts to the city.

"In Konza we are doing it horizontally starting with the most basic on infrastructure. Roads and walkways have been made to give developers an easy time," said Mutiso.

He added that vetting will be done before land is given: "We are also giving land at competitive process that only investors with the financial muscle can go through. There will be no buying or selling of land, we are simply leasing."
Vision 2030 board Member Amb Dennis Awori described the project as transformational that will make Kenya a techno savvy nation to achieve the 10 per cent annual economic growth.

"This is a 20 year journey that will position Kenya as the global back office in technology," said Awori.