NAIROBI, Kenya, March 17 – The Kenyan and Korean Governments Wednesday formalized a partnership aimed at fast-tracking the development of smart city infrastructure at Konza Technopolis.
The three-year partnership dubbed the Economic Innovation Partnership Program (EIPP) 2021/22, provides a framework for the completion of three pivotal projects in KonzaTechnopolis.
The three projects include the development of the Smart City Master Plan covering 500 acres alongside the smart city framework for the remaining 5,000 acres; Feasibility Study on the Integrated Control Centre focusing on Security Operations which will be located in the modern police command center and the Establishment of a transportation network and smart mobility plans that meet urban functions and characteristics such as Smart Parking, Digital signage and Electric Vehicle Service (EVS).
The partnership’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was inked by Kenya’s Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs and Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance at a ceremony held in Nairobi.
Speaking at the MoU signing, Permanent Secretary Jerome Ochieng noted that the Government of Kenya is keen on forging partnerships that will spur the country’s socio-economic transformation, particularly in the fields of ICT and Innovation so as to fully exploit our potential and stay ahead of the curve.
“Under this EIPP, consultation based on Korea’s ICT infrastructure and urban development experience is expected to significantly contribute to formulating a smart city development strategy. Furthermore, the consultations will result in formulation of strategies that meet Konza Technopolis’ unique conditions and support its growth into an innovation hub for Kenya and the rest of Africa.”Said PS Ochieng’.
Chong Hwa Lee, the Director of the Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance who led the Korean high profile team during the MoU signing, stated that the Kenya-Korea relationship has been on a constant growth curve with the two countries partnering on numerous projects previously.
While commenting on the 2021/22 EIPP, he expressed his confidence in working with the Kenyan Government stating that “Kenya is the continent’s leading country in digital transformation, pushing for a leap to become Africa’s ‘Silicon Savannah’ through Vision 2030 and other National Development Plans. I am therefore confident that the projects lined up under the EIPP will have a reverberating effect across the continent”.
“The Konza Technopolis Development Authority(KoTDA) identified over 10 candidate projects to benefit from EIPP. We jointly reviewed and agreed on three key projects for the 2021/2022 EIPP, and lined-up candidate projects for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 programs.” Chong Hwa added.
The 2021/22 Kenya-Korea EIPP will be implemented by the Korea Trade-Investment & Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and the Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) on behalf of the Governments of Korea and Kenya respectively
