KEPSA, led by the ICT Sector Board Chair Mr Ben Roberts, visited Konza Technopolis on 6^th October 2023 to have firsthand experience of the progress in its development and the project's current status. The team toured key facilities that have been established and deliberated on possible investment and partnership opportunities in the smart city.

Konza Technopolis is a flagship project of Kenya's Vision 2030. It aims to transform Kenya into a newly industrialising, middle-income country providing a high quality of life to all its citizens by 2030. Under Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) as the implementing agency, Konza is envisioned to be a thriving sustainable smart city and a vibrant innovation ecosystem contributing to Kenya’s knowledge economy.

In his opening remarks, Eng. Anthony Sang - Chief Manager, Construction, Operation & Management at KoTDA noted that that there is a great opportunity for everyone to invest with the commencement of phase 1. He added that the smart city is leading on the digital economy agenda of the Government and urged private sector members to plug in and invest.

The Chair of KoTDA Prof Raphael Munavu acknowledged the huge role played by the private sector in economic development. He also challenged the private sector players to be at the forefront to actualize the great vision while mentioning that all countries the world over with high indexes of development are majorly transformed by the private sector. “The dream of Konza which is being actualized is an important journey with all sectors playing a key role in the transformation of the country,” he said.

On his part, Mr Ben Roberts appreciated the progress made at Konza that paves the way for technology and most importantly employment. He went on to say that Kenya is not only a market for technology but a gateway to the East African Community. “The infrastructure at Konza is progressing well with various investors setting camp here. With new and emerging technology like electronic vehicles and AI it will be an important business opportunity for companies in technology, not limiting to other sectors which are ready for investment,” remarked Mr Roberts.

The team toured several facilities including the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, Water Reclamation Facility, Konza National Data Centre, Water Treatment Plant, Security Command Centre, Power station among others.

Kenya is far ahead in terms of ubiquity of internet connectivity. 96% of the land is covered by 4G connectivity. The 6 Fibre cabling connectivity along Mombasa Road will support data centres to enable huge investment in digital infrastructure.