Ruto announces plans to build mall at Bomas complex

President William Ruto has announced plans to construct a shopping mall, hotels and a modern arena at the Bomas International Convention Complex as part of the expansion project aimed at transforming the facility into a world-class conferencing and tourism hub.

Speaking on Thursday during an inspection tour of the ongoing construction works at the Bomas International Convention Complex in Nairobi, Ruto said the project would create jobs for hundreds of workers while boosting the country's capacity to host international events.

The President praised the workers at the site and assured them of continued employment opportunities once the current phase of construction is completed.

“I saw most of you at the Talanta construction site. I told you when you are done, you will come to Bomas,” Ruto said.

He said the convention centre project is nearing completion and revealed that the next phase will include the construction of a hotel within the complex, followed by three additional hotels. 

The President disclosed plans for a large shopping mall and a state-of-the-art arena at the site.

When you are done constructing the Bomas Conference, there are three hotels to be constructed. You still have a lot of work to do. When you are done with Bomas, there is a hotel and a mall. We want to construct a huge mall here and after that, we construct an arena as well,” Ruto stated.

According to the President, the government's long-term infrastructure agenda will also include the construction of an airport after the completion of the Bomas developments.

Ruto said the redevelopment of Bomas had been delayed for decades despite repeated plans by successive administrations.

“It has been many years that we have planned to construct Bomas and we have to do it now. We have been planning for the last 25 years, but this construction is one and a half years,” he said.

The ongoing redevelopment of the Bomas International Convention Complex is expected to position Nairobi as a leading destination for conferences, exhibitions and entertainment events in the region while creating employment opportunities during and after construction.

The President said that he is pleased by the steady and sure progress being made in the construction of the Bomas International Conference Centre (BICC).

On Thursday,, he inspected the ongoing works and chaired a meeting to address key bottlenecks and accelerate implementation, including ensuring adequate and reliable power infrastructure to support the conference facility.

"Upon completion, the complex will strengthen Nairobi’s position as a leading conferencing and events destination in East and Central Africa, enhancing our capacity to host major regional and international gatherings. Even more important, it will cater for current conferences preferences, elevating and growing our tourism numbers to more than 5 million visitors and generating more than Sh1 trillion by 2028," he said.