Juba’s tallest building nears completion

UAP Group has set June 30 as the deadline for completion of construction work on Equatorial Towers, its 15-storey office complex in Juba, South Sudan.

The Sh1.7 billion building, which is tipped to be the tallest tower in South Sudan, will reportedly be the country’s first ultra-modern building offering amenities such as air conditioning, internet and high speed elevators.

The development, which has adopted green building standards, is a joint venture between UAP Insurance Sudan and Central Equatorial Investment Corporation. The corporation is the investment arm of Central Equatorial State in South Sudan.

Equatorial Towers’ design includes maximizing natural ventilation and natural light in public areas and the use of LED and compact fluorescent artificial lighting throughout the building.

The design also includes the use of low-emissivity glass in all windows and insulation in the walls, ceilings and floors to cut down the amount of air conditioning required to cool the building.

It also minimises the use of finishes containing volatile organic compounds.

UAP had earlier said that Equatorial Towers is a strong commitment by the regional insurer and its partners – Central Equatorial Investment Company with a 30 per cent shareholding – to infrastructure development in South Sudan.

“The development will contribute towards addressing the critical supply gap of high quality offices in South Sudan,” the company said.

Equatorial Towers, the first project to be funded by IFC in South Sudan, is being positioned as a platform for the development of high quality business infrastructure in South Sudan.

The project, initially scheduled for completion last year, is being undertaken by China Aero-technologic International Cooperation(CATIC).

The building will offer a total lettable area of 8,000 square metres.

UAP Group holds a Sh15 billion property portfolio – spread across Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda – including the UAP Tower, which is under construction in Nairobi.

READ: UAP Tower soars into Nairobi’s skyline

On completion by end of the year, the 33-storey building which boasts a rentable space of about 29,000 square metres, will house UAP Group headquarters and accommodate corporate tenants.

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