Developing Konza Technopolis into a Smart City to Boost Kenya’s GDP

The Government is accelerating the development of Konza Technopolis into a world-class smart city as part of efforts to drive economic growth and contribute an estimated two per cent to Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This was highlighted during discussions between the Principal Secretary, State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy, Eng. John Tanui, and a visiting delegation from the Korea Development Institute (KDI) and the University of Seoul.

The delegation is undertaking a study on the development of Konza Technopolis as a smart city, with a focus on linkages and cooperation under Korea Development Cooperation projects, as well as exploring opportunities for future collaboration.

The Principal Secretary said Konza Technopolis is undergoing significant transformation and is expected to achieve a higher level of development over the next five years.

“In the next five years, you will see a lot of change because we are building from scratch. There was no accommodation, there was no housing, but now there is housing coming up,” said Eng. Tanui.

He noted that the growth of industries within the Technopolis would further stimulate economic activity, create employment opportunities and contribute to Kenya’s overall economic development.

Among the key projects currently being implemented at Konza Technopolis are the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kenya-AIST), Digital Media City and the National Data Centre, among others.

The visiting delegation comprised Prof. Hyeon Park and Prof. Junwon Seo from the University of Seoul; Ms. Hyemi Kim, Researcher at the University of Seoul; and Ms. Jun Kim, Senior Research Associate at the Korea Development Institute.