APRIL FOOL 4

MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY JOSHUA ONYANGO

The government plans to construct a 60-storey tower in Upper Hill, Nairobi, officials of the National Economic and Social Council have said.

Details of the shield-shaped building that will be Africa's tallest structure were recently unveiled during a tender opening ceremony at Treasury building.

Officials from Nema, NESC and ministries of Finance, Public Works, Transport, Roads, Tourism and Lands said yesterday the government will build the tallest man-made structure on earth.

Details of the project were released at a conference attended by a consortium of contractors who showed reporters designs, plans and relevant approvals by ministries involved in the $750 billion (Sh16 trillion) project. The structure is being built on Mt Kenya between Batian and Lenana peaks.

The launching ceremony will take place today at Mt Kenya club in Nanyuki where President Kibaki is expected to host investors, contractors and officials from all the ministries involved.

The 510 storey, two-kilometre tall building will be the tallest structure in Africa and will be the tallest landmark on earth by virtue of being atop the fifth tallest mountain in the world. The official said the building will hold the world’s tallest radio and communication tower and mast.

Konza became Kenya’s first ICT city  and while the project was to be financed mainly by IFC, a division of the World Bank, the Mt. Kenya Heaven City project will be funded by the government in collaboration with private developers and investors.

The Konza Technology City project got Parliamentary Accounts Committee's endorsement in February 2010 with Sh1 billion set aside for the construction.

In order for Kenyans and other parties to participate in the Mt Kenya Heaven City project, the Central Bank of Kenya last night issued special three year bonds. The project's management board has been gazetted in today’s issue of the Kenya Gazette.

The building is expected to become the largest tourist attractions in the world. Flip Olora of the Ministry of Tourism said the senate and governor of Mt. Kenya county had approved the project in honour of outgoing President Kibaki as his legacy to Kenyans.

The ministries of Planning, Finance and Tourism have projected that tourist numbers will hit the 60 million mark annually within a year of the project’s completion sometime in 2015. This would earn an annual revenue of at least US$200 billion.