The Konza Technopolis project is set to take up a substantial chunk of the money allocated to the Information and Communication (ICT) Ministry. This is according to budget estimates for the upcoming financial year.
In the upcoming 2021/22 financial year, which kicks in on July 1, the tech city which is a flagship project of the Kenya Vision 2030 has been allocated Sh17.8 billion for mostly putting in place infrastructure. This is 77% of the Sh23 billion that the National Treasury has allocated to the ICT Ministry.
The government has in recent years been pumping over Sh10 billion annually into Konza. The development of the tech city, which was mooted about a decade ago and was expected to put Kenya at the same level as other tech cities in the world, including India’s Bangalore, has, however, been slow to materialize.
Horizontal infrastructure
According to a breakdown by Treasury on how the funds will be used, Sh12 billion will be used on horizontal infrastructure. This includes putting in place utilities such as roads, power and water supply. The money will also be spent on building ICT networks, a wastewater reclamation facility as well as public facility buildings such as police and fire stations.
Another Sh5.2 billion will be spent on the Konza Data Centre and smart city facilities. The tech city has also been allocated Sh400 million for the construction of an additional office block as well as Sh200 million for hiring a consultant to develop the second phase of the Konza Technopolis Masterplan.
The Technopolis is situated a 5,000 acre piece of land 60km from the country’s capital city of Nairobi. Once operational, the city will be able to attract software developers, university campuses focused on research and technology, hospitals, schools, high speed mass transport system, a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) park among other world class amenities. It is also meant to put Kenya on the global spotlight as Africa’s premiere techno hub. This will also unlock the unemployment gridlock in the country.
