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Sh1 billion conference centre planned for Mombasa

The proposed facility will boost Mombasa’s status as a business tourist destination.

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Mombasa hopes to attract business tourists.
Mombasa hopes to attract business tourists. PHOTO | FILE

The Kenyan government and private investors have announced plans to build an international conference facility in Mombasa.

Construction of the Sh1 billion Mombasa International Conference Centre will begin early 2012 on a 10-acre piece of land donated by Bamburi Cement. The new 3,000 capacity conference facility will boost Mombasa’s status as a business tourist destination.

The Mombasa conference centre will house banks, restaurants, libraries, among other amenities, and is expected to compete against Nairobi’s Kenyatta International Conference Centre.

The government is expected to share a stake in the development with several private investors. Investors are keen to tap into the market that is expected to grow on the back of Kenya’s strategic position as a transport hub in the region.

“The demand for business conference has triggered the need to develop a world class convention centre,” said Marianne Jordan, the managing director of Kenya Tourist Development Corporation.

Many conference delegates flying into Nairobi include Mombasa in their itinerary but the coastal city would attract direct business from its twin offer of conference facilities and tourist attractions.

Jane Mwangasha is a gifted reporter with a degree in Journalism from the University of Nairobi. Her passion for covering the latest in construction news is backed by years of experience in the industry.