Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) and Tatu City’s owner and developer, Rendeavour, have entered into an agreement to establish an association for Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to accelerate development and investments in the country.
The move, aimed at championing the policies and conducive environment for SEZs, seeks to attract foreign direct investments (FDI) into the country as well as promoting domestic investment.
“We are glad for the continued engagement between us and Konza Technopolis. Today’s return visit is just the start of our key winnings on urban development not only in Kenya but also in Africa. What we have identified as sister cities is that we must collaborate closely on the Special Economic Zones which is relatively new legislation to ensure its good implementation in Kenya to enable it to attract Foreign Direct Investments in Kenya and also benefit all domestic investor,” said Preston Mendenhall, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Tatu City.
The engagement will further enable the upcoming SEZs in the country to speak with one voice, thereby safeguarding their investors’ interests and championing more development.
Both cities are looking forward to positioning Kenya as a global industrialization hub by bringing in more investors while easing the weight of urbanization on cities.
“We have decided, alongside Konza, that we act in unison because we are trying something new in Kenya that is very important for the country’s future. So therefore with Konza, we have decided to form an association of Special Economic Zones (SEZs). This association will be founded by Konza and Tatu City as founding partners and members,” said Mendenhall.
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So far, 64 companies have already taken space at Tatu City, with 13 of them operating under the SEZs category.
According to KoTDA CEO, Eng. John Tanui the engagement is envisioned to propel the joint development of the smart cities with a focus on three areas; promotion of the cities, promotion of SEZs, and the utilization of the cities’ existing infrastructure such as the Data Centre in Konza.
“We are glad that our engagement with Tatu City has continued to bear fruits and from today’s discussion, we are glad that the establishment of the SEZs association will seek to promote investment in our country,” said Eng. Tanui.
The two cities announced their collaboration in January 2021, with a focus on building both mega-projects’ investment policies and positioning the cities at vantage positions for both local and international investors.
The two cities are putting up a mixed-use development with homes, schools, offices, medical centers, nature parks, sport & entertainment complex, and manufacturing.
So far, KoTDA’s National Data Centre and Konza Complex are complete while horizontal infrastructure on Phase One is ongoing. On its side, Tatu City has already established schools and businesses which are operational.
The visit was also attended by Arch. Dr. Reuben Mutiso, MBS, Chairman KoTDA, Justus Kariuki, Executive Vice President, Tatu City, and board members from both KoTDA and Tatu City.
