Nairobi could host Africa’s third tallest building

A 31-storey extension to the existing eight-storey Hazina Trade Centre in central Nairobi is set to make the building potentially the third tallest in Africa.

Following the 18-month construction works the completed 39-storey building would stand at 180m, dwarfing the city's 140-m Times Tower, home to the Kenya Revenue Authority and currently the tallest building in east Africa.

The Sh6.7-billion construction of the state-of-the-art skyscrapper is being funded by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Designed by local architectural and consultancy firm MruttuSalmann & Associates, the completed building is expected to generate about Sh100 million a month in rent.

The mega-project stalled last December after the company that won the original construction bid, Cementer Ltd, had its 2011 tender cancelled by the courts following a legal dispute taken by the companies that lost the bid – China Jiangxi International Kenya and China Wu Yi.

Following the court decision the NSSF restarted the tendering process, awarding the construction contract to China Jiangxi International Kenya, with other contracts going to consultants MruttuSalmann & Associates, quantity surveyors Tana & Associates, structural and civil engineers Abdul Mullick & Associates and electrical-mechanical engineers Metroeng Consultants.

Located along Monrovia St and MokhtarDaddah St opposite the Jeevanjee Gardens in the city centre, the building currently houses Nakumatt Lifestyle shopping mall. When the skyscraper extension is complete, in addition to apartments the building will include roof gardens, a helipad and a high-end hotel.

The tallest building in Africa is the 223-m Carlton Centre in Johannesburg in South Africa, followed by the 210-m Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca in Morocco, and the 173-m Ponte City Apartments, also in Johannesburg.