KICC: Inside Kenya's Iconic KSh 4b Building Hosting Africa's First Climate Summit

• Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) made history by hosting Africa's first climate summit
• The landmark building was designed and built under founding president Jomo Kenyatta's orders
• TUKO.co.ke looked at what inspired KICC's unique design, the building's value, and who owns it

Nairobi is playing host to Africa’s first climate summit, with the discussions being held at the landmark Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

What was KICC’s inspiration?

The iconic building has crucial government offices and is a renowned venue for conferences, meetings, exhibitions and special events.

The 28-storey, 105-metre building was the tallest structure in Nairobi when it was completed in 1973 and launched by founding president Jomo Kenyatta.

KICC was designed by the Norwegian architect Karl Nøstvik and Kenyan designer David Mutiso, and its showstopper feature was the revolving Tower Room restaurant.

Mutiso, one of the first African Chief Architects, said Jomo wanted a building for the Kenya African National Union(KANU) headquarters.

The team was instructed to get instructions from the president directly, and their first design was a four-storey building.

However, Jomo kept revising the vision and went for taller and taller designs. Mutiso said that a donkey’s manhood inspired the building’s design.

How much is KICC worth?

In 2019, KICC’s assets were evaluated, totalling KSh 4.04 billion for the property and equipment.

The building is worth KSh 1.6 billion, while its land was valued at KSh 2.4 billion.

There is KSh 55.3 million of office equipment in KICC, and the furniture is worth KSh 21.5 million.

Who owns KICC?

There was a dispute about KICC’s ownership, and Kanu secretary-general Nick Salat in 2012 claimed that the party had the title deed to the building.

It was later turned into a parastatal under the Ministry of Tourism and refurbished using taxpayers’ money.

In 2021, Business Daily reported that the Auditor-General said the land was not owned by the state corporation running the complex.

However, the identity of the person or entity whose name was in the title deed was not revealed.