HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE OF KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL CONRENCE CENTRE





The Kenyatta International Conference Centre, locally known as the "KICC", was commissioned by Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, the 1st President of the Republic of Kenya, in 1967. It was designed by Kenyan architect Engineer NGILU in consultation with David Mutiso the first African architect and the construction was carried out by contractors Solel Boneh & Factah. This was done in three phases. Phase I was the construction of the podium, Phase II consisted of the main tower and Phase III involved the Plenary. Construction was completed in 1973, with the opening ceremony occurring in September 1973 presided over by President Kenyatta. The Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) was then made a State Corporation established under the Tourism Act. 2011 that came into operation on 1 September 2012. Whereas the centre is known as a leading meeting venue in Nairobi, its national mandate following the Act became to nurture and promote the country as a destination most preferred for business travel and MICE tourism. M.I.C.E has been recognized as one of the four key products to be developed under the  Kenya vision 2030.The KICC currently stands as the sixth tallest building in Kenya, reaching a height of just over 105 metres. It succeeded the Hilton Nairobi as the tallest building in Kenya, a position it held for 26 years before being surpassed by Teleposta Tower. The tower consists of 28 floors, including a revolving restaurant which offers panoramic views of the city, rotating 360° in 76 minutes. The building's light terracotta facade reflects traditional African architecture, as does the use of simple solid shapes- cuboids make up the Plenary hall, the tower consists of a cylinder composed of several cuboids and the amphitheatre and helipad both resemble cones .There are several well-equipped conference and meeting rooms with the largest having a capacity over 4,000 delegates. The KICC is equipped with Simultaneous Interpretation Equipment with a capability of up to seven languages, a modern business centre, a banking facility, tour and travel services, expansive grounds and ample and secure parking. It is often depicted as an icon of Nairobi.
Up until the 1980s, there was a 'revolving restaurant' atop the KICC that was popular with politicians and the elite, but years of neglect literally brought it to a halt, though concerted efforts in 2012 to revive it were somewhat short lived. The 148- seater restaurant has a revolving mortar programmed to make approximately one revolution in 76 minutes.  President uhuru kenyatta have triend to do some  renovation at the kicc  buliding by lighting up the building and  thereby making it look much better than before.

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