Konza Technopolis
Kenya's $14.5 billion smart city project, building Africa's Silicon Savannah 60 km south of Nairobi.
Konza Technopolis, often called 'Silicon Savannah,' is a planned smart city and technology hub being developed on 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares) of land in Machakos County, approximately 60 km south of Nairobi. Anchored in Kenya's Vision 2030 development plan, the project envisions a world-class technology city with IT business parks, a university, residential areas, and a central business district. The Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) is overseeing phased development with Phase 1 horizontal infrastructure (roads, water, fibre optic, power) largely completed at a cost of approximately $500 million. The full development is expected to cost $14.5 billion over 20 years.
- 01Establish a world-class technology and innovation hub in East Africa
- 02Attract global technology companies and create 200,000 jobs
- 03Develop smart city infrastructure with integrated ICT systems
- 04House an estimated 250,000 residents in a planned urban environment
- 05Incubate Kenyan startups and strengthen the local tech ecosystem
- 06Serve as a national data centre hub with a Tier-IV data centre
2013 · completed
Master Plan Approved
The Konza Technopolis master plan was completed and approved, with Phase 1 design finalised.
2018 · completed
Phase 1 Infrastructure Begins
Construction of Phase 1 horizontal infrastructure including roads, utilities, and fibre optic networks commenced.
2021 · completed
National Data Centre
The Konza National Data Centre was completed and began hosting government systems and cloud services.
2023 · completed
Phase 1 Roads Complete
The 22 km internal road network for Phase 1 was completed along with water and power infrastructure.
2024 · in progress
First Buildings Under Construction
Construction of the first commercial and institutional buildings in Phase 1 advanced.
2025 · in progress
University Campus Development
Development of the Konza Complex including educational institutions and innovation labs continued.
Project Authority
Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA)
The government authority mandated to plan, develop, and manage Konza Technopolis.
Strategic Owner
Government of Kenya (Vision 2030)
Konza is a flagship project under Kenya's Vision 2030 long-term development plan.
Financier
African Development Bank (AfDB)
Provided financing for Phase 1 horizontal infrastructure development.
Financier
World Bank
Supported the project through the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Program.
- Fibre optic backbone network throughout the city
- Smart grid electrical infrastructure
- Tier-IV national data centre
- Intelligent traffic management systems
- Integrated water recycling and waste management systems
- IoT sensor network for city-wide management
What it means for the community
Phase 1 horizontal infrastructure covering approximately 400 acres is largely complete, with the national data centre operational. The project is designed to create 200,000 direct jobs and contribute up to 2% of Kenya's GDP when fully operational. The data centre already hosts critical government IT systems. While development has been slower than initially envisioned, the project continues to attract interest from technology firms and has catalysed infrastructure development in the Machakos-Kajiado corridor.
- Konza Technopolis Development Authority (Government of Kenya)
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