Investors to Build Sh1bn Mombasa Conference Centre

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 in early 2012 on a 10-acre piece of land donated by Bamburi Cement.

The 3,000-capacity conference facility will boost Mombasa’s status as a business tourist destination. It will house banks, restaurants, and libraries, among other amenities, to compete against Nairobi’s Kenyatta International Conference Centre.

The government will 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.

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“The demand for business conferences 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.

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