Kenyans Raise Questions Why Bunge Tower Cost KSh 9B Versus KSh 2.5B CBK Pension Tower

• President William Ruto inaugurated the Bunge Tower on April 25, alongside other parliamentary leaders, to address the lack of official accommodation for MPs
• Kenyans questioned the high cost of the Bunge Tower, comparing it to another tower in Nairobi built at significantly lower costs, sparking discussions on social media
• Delays in the completion of the Bunge Tower were attributed to disputes between contractors and the procuring entity

Elijah Ntongai, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, has more than three years of financial, business, and technology research expertise, providing insights into Kenyan and global trends.

President William Ruto formerly inaugurated Bunge Tower on Thursday, April 25, in the presence of other parliamentary leaders.

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula announced on Thursday, April 11, that the tower was ready to host the MPs. The new premises will help solve the lack of official accommodation for the MPs.

Additionally, the KSh 9.6 billion tower has a set of luxurious packages, including a gym and a beauty parlour.

It is further linked to the Parliament Buildings by a tunnel through an underground tunnel for security and privacy.

"In all the 26-committee rooms they are fitted with state-of-the-art audio-visual technology that allows the people to follow live committee sessions for the very first time," Senate Majority Leader, Aaron Cheruiyot said.

Kenyans question the high cost of Bunge Tower

Apart from the controversy over the length of time it took to complete, Kenyans have expressed concerns about the cost of Bunge Tower, comparing it to another tower in Nairobi that has been built at a significantly lower cost.

A Kenyan on X juxtaposed photos of Bunge Tower and CBK Pension Tower, questioning why the CBK Pension Tower cost much less.

Similar questions had been raised before by Senator Okiya Omtata comparing the cost of the two iconic buildings.

How Kenyans reacted to the cost of Bunge Tower

Kenyans expressed varying opinions on the reasons behind the differences in cost.

@Rhymaholic said:

"The time it was built, the design, the contractor, the type of materials used, the number of government individuals you have to bribe etc."

@Mkisii_mmeru said:

"All things considered, 9 billion still smells corruption."

@bungomaduke said:

"Look at what the buildings contain in terms of offices and other facilities."

@alvin_halgo said:

"One is owned by the GOK. The other one is a private entity."

@barrack_gumba1 said:

"It depends on the year it was built. Bunge tower is a recent and modern one."

@RonnyRonMike said:

"Oversighters are not even ashamed to question Auditor General reports on other people's queries. This is daylight robbery robbing taxpayers, so both speakers should carry responsibility and PSC; we demand EACC and Auditor General reports on this mega corruption!"

Why completion of Bunge Tower was delayed

Earlier, TUKO.co.ke reported that the government began construction of Bunge Tower and scheduled its completion in three and a half years.

The 28-storey building was to be occupied by members of parliament in 2016, but disputes between the contractors and procuring entity delayed the completion.

According to the status report, the building is 99.8% complete; however, most of the remaining work is done on interior fittings.

Bunge Tower contractor demanded 80% of the payment to be made in US dollars and 20% in Kenya shillings.