The Ministry of Devolution has clashed with contractors working on the Sh1.4billion Africities Convention Centre at Mamboleo, Kisumu over the project completion amid tight deadline concerns.
This is after it emerged that the project being put up to host the forthcoming Africities conference in May might not be completed within the earlier deadline of eight months.
While contractors insist the convention centre will be ready by the end of March, the National Government and county government want the project to be completed by March 1.
The concerns were noted during an inspection tour by the Devolution CS Charles Keter who was accompanied by Kisumu and his deputy Matthews Owili on Monday.
During the inspection, the Devolution CS raised concerns over the slow pace of the construction, with the project lagging behind by two months, and lack of coordination in the construction.
By now the convention centre works should have been at 47 per cent but during their inspection the construction works were at 12 per cent.
The Africities Convention Centre will have a main auditorium, exhibition arena, break rooms and can comfortably host 4,000 delegates.
The construction is being done by Chinese firm Jansen International Kenya.
The facility will heavily incorporate structures deeply rooted in the Luo culture.
Initially, the ground breaking of the conference facility was supposed to be done last year but the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted the plans.
Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o said the 9th Africities Summit will put Kisumu and the Lake Region Economic Bloc on the international map as an investment destination.
“The construction of this Convention Centre will not only be a befitting legacy of the Africities Summit to the County and the Lake Region, but will attract international business meetings and business tourism, greatly increasing economic activity in the region,” said Governor Nyongo.
He said the conference facility will change the face of the ASK Ground which is normally held once a year for agricultural exhibitions.
“This project will not only change the face of this very prime land, which for a very long time was only utilized one week in a year, but will revolutionize the physical planning of the whole Mamboleo area and its environs,” he said.
The 9th edition of the Africities Summit will be held in Kisumu from 17th to 21st May, 2022.
This will be the first Convention Centre in the Lake Region Economic Bloc and by extension the whole of the Western Kenya region.
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