Commercial Projects

The 40-Year-Old Building Project That Never Ends

The building has remained under construction for four decades.

Updated on

January 6, 2025

New Mitihani House in Nairobi’s South C Estate. PHOTO | COURTESY

Mitihani House, the Kenya National Examinations Council’s building in Nairobi’s South C, has been under construction for 40 years, making it the city’s longest-running project.

How the building, meant to house the KNEC headquarters, has remained under construction for three decades despite budgetary allocations remains a puzzle to many observers.

The building, which has gone through several builders, appeared to be on track in 2013 when the council hired M/s Ongata Works Limited to complete the project in a deal valued at Sh1.49 billion over 78 weeks — a timeline later extended to March 2017.

However, the work stalled at 59 per cent, forcing KNEC to terminate the contract – a move that then Auditor-General Edward Ouko said would cost taxpayers more money.

“As of June 30, 2018, the council had paid Sh818.3 million, while certified works stood at Sh891.3 million representing 59 per cent of the original contract sum,” Dr Ouko said.

KNEC did not explain the mismatch between the certified level of work and the level of project completion, the auditor said, adding that terminating the deal could risk a legal suit.

“With the cancellation of the contract, management risks a legal suit from the contractor and this may further delay the completion of the project,” Dr Ouko said.

The auditor also noted that the council did not provide a roadmap on how it intended to complete the project, warning that delays in completion would lead to cost escalation, a situation that would deny stakeholders value for their money.

However, in a report published by the National Treasury last month, the Ministry of Education projects that Mitihani House, which has been underway since September 30, 1985, will be completed on June 29, 2027 — meaning the project will have taken 42 years to complete.

The report indicated that the project is 60 percent complete and that Sh2.82 billion has been paid out, through eight contracts, leaving a balance of Sh1.85 billion.

The initial budgeted cost of the building in 1986 was Sh248.9 million, but due to inflation and other factors, the cost has since risen to Sh4.67 billion.