The Kenyan and Korean governments have signed a memorandum of understanding to accelerate the building of smart city infrastructure at Konza Technopolis.
The Economic Innovation Cooperation Program (EIPP) 2021/22 is a three-year partnership that lays the groundwork for the execution of three key projects in Konza Technopolis.
The three initiatives include the creation of a 500-acre Smart City Master Plan as well as a smart city framework for the remaining 5,000 acres.
Feasibility Study for an Integrated Control Centre focusing on Security Operations, which will be housed in a modern police command centre, as well as the creation of a transportation network and smart mobility plans that address urban functions and characteristics such as Smart Parking, Digital Signage, and Electric Vehicle Service (EVS).
Kenya’s Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs and Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance signed the partnership’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Nairobi.
Permanent Secretary Jerome Ochieng said at the signing of the MoU that the Kenyan government is interested in forming partnerships that will help the country’s socio-economic transformation, particularly in the fields of ICT and Innovation, so that it can fully realise its 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, Director of the Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance, who led the high-profile Korean delegation to the MoU signing, remarked that the Kenya-Korea relationship has been on a steady upward trajectory, with the two nations previously collaborating on a number of projects.
“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,” Chong Hwa said.