Tatu City, Kenya's 5,000-acre Special Economic Zone, has appointed global engineering firm–SMEC as the lead infrastructure consultant for the second phase of Tatu Industrial Park.
SMEC is part of Surbana Jurong Private Limited, a Singaporean government–owned consultancy company focusing on infrastructure and urban development.
Under the multi-million shilling contract, SMEC is overseeing the design, tender processing and construction of infrastructure.
The scope of infrastructure works includes roads, storm drainage, street lighting, water distribution pipeline and wastewater reticulation, electrical networks and ICT.
Work has already started and is expected to be completed by the end of May 2022.
“Following a highly competitive selection process, we appointed SMEC due to its expertise and commitment to excellent service delivery across small and mega projects worldwide,” said Samuel Gathukia, Project Manager, Tatu City.
“Our partnership with SMEC underpins our commitment to expand Tatu City’s international standard infrastructure to the second phase of Tatu Industrial Park,” he added.
Tatu Industrial Park is among the fastest-growing new industrial zones in Kenya and East Africa.
It is currently home to more than 60 local, regional and multi-national businesses.
Industry leaders at Tatu Industrial Park include Dormans, Cooper K-Brands, Davis & Shirtliff, Cold Solutions, Copia, Friendship Group, FFK, Twiga Foods and Stecol, among others. Tatu Industrial Park Phase I is 90 per cent sold.
In Phase II, Kenya Wine Agencies Limited, majority owned by Distell of South Africa, broke ground in February for a Sh4 billion production and distribution facility.
“We are delighted to commence work at Tatu Industrial Park Phase two and to be part of a new city development that has catalysed more than one billion dollars of investment in Kenya in the last four years alone,” said Dave Duke, General Manager, Social & Urban Development, Africa, at SMEC.
SMEC has worked extensively in Kenya on projects that include the Kenya Power Transmission System Improvement Project and Dandora Sewage Treatment.
Operating in Kenya since 1976, its first project in the country was the Magarini Land Settlement Project, which involved the investigation and development of surface and underground water supplies, establishment of settlers’ plots and development of agricultural potential.
Since then, SMEC has completed numerous projects including the institutional restructuring project for Nairobi’s water and sewerage service providers, an environmental management program for Lake Victoria and the detailed design and Social and Environmental Impact Assessments for the Magwagwa Multi-purpose Dam Development Project.