President William Ruto officially opens the Ksh.9.6 billion, 28-storey Bunge Towers in Nairobi
President William Ruto has officially opened the 28-story Bunge Tower despite the ongoing controversies surrounding its construction. Originally budgeted at Sh5.89 billion and constructed by China Jiangxi International Company, the project's costs escalated to Sh7.1 billion, inclusive of financial claims totaling Sh1.1 billion and late payment interest of Sh225.2 million. To date, the total expenditure on the building Sh9.6 billion.
The tower, envisioned back in 2019 stands as a significant addition to the parliamentary infrastructure., catering to the expanded Bicameral Parliament comprising 349 MPs and 67 Senators. The Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) has stated that the design of the Bunge Tower draws inspiration from Parliament's Shield emblem.
"The shield, with its intricate design, has been a symbol of protection and unity for centuries in Kenyan culture. It represents strength, resilience, and the collective identity of diverse communities coming together under one banner for the greater good," PSC says.
Bunge Tower will feature a total of 331 dedicated offices for members of both Houses of Parliament, along with 26 committee rooms. These committee rooms, situated across the first, second, third, and fifth floors, are equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual and conference management systems.
"In addition, four committee rooms will be fitted with cutting-edge video conference facilities to enable remote presentation of evidence to committees," says PSC.
"The first floor houses the ultra-modern Parliament Library which was established in 1910. The library is equipped with a vast collection of 50,000 documents, reports, Standing Orders, books, Hansard, Sets of Laws of Kenya, Bills, Acts of Parliament, Auditor General Reports and Policy papers."
The Parliament Library offers real-time access to parliamentary information and hosts a diverse collection of e-journals.
The office block building consists of four basements, twenty-seven floors, two vehicular and pedestrian tunnels, and an access building located within the main parliament complex.
"The first, second and third basements have the parking, stores and offices. The tower provides a total of 350 parking slots. The pedestrian tunnel will link the building to the main parliament."
From the sixth to the 22nd floors, Bunge Tower will accommodate 331 offices allocated for Members of Parliament and Senators. Additionally, the tower features two designated restaurant spaces, a fully equipped kitchen, and a gym facility.
Incorporating sustainability measures, the tower includes a rainwater harvesting system with a capacity of 184,000 litres and solar water heating panels situated on the 27th floor.
Access within the tower is facilitated by six main lifts, one goods lift, four lifts serving the committee room floors, and two lifts serving the main parliament, complemented by six escalators from the ground floor up to the third floor. Vehicular and pedestrian tunnels connect the building to the main parliament complex, enhancing accessibility.
"To address the needs of people with disabilities, the building has put in place wheelchair ramps at the access points to facilitate movement of people with disabilities," PSC says.
During the inauguration of the tower, President William Ruto raised concerns about whether the rooms designated for committee meetings would be able to accommodate a significant number of members.
Expressing his concern, Ruto questioned whether some committee members might be compelled to stand due to the small size of the rooms. He sought clarification on the matter after visiting one of the rooms, where he addressed various issues related to the construction of the building.
"I thought that committee members are more than this, then how do you transact if the membership is full house? the head of state asked.
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetangula, promptly addressed the concerns raised by the President during the official launch. Wetangula assured that the rooms designated for committee meetings were indeed spacious and could accommodate all members. However, committees with a larger membership would be provided access to a special chamber within the tower.
The original opening date for the tower was scheduled for April 19, but it was rescheduled to allow for the mourning period following the passing of Chief of Defence Forces, General Francis Ogolla.
On Wednesday 17th April, a section of MPs clashed with National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula over issues concerning the construction of the building and its safety. Wetangula found himself in disagreement with certain lawmakers who not only refused to occupy the tower but also raised concerns about its safety, quality of workmanship, and cost. In response, Wetangula threatened to initiate investigations by the Powers and Privileges Committee against those who provided allegedly false information regarding the building.
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Wetangula dismissed claims suggesting that the tower is unfit for occupation, refuting allegations to the contrary.
Wetangula's statement followed National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi's inquiry about how they should address the situation, prompted by concerns raised by MPs, including Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, who questioned the status of the tower.
“I have listened to Senator Cherargei talking passionately about this building and requesting for a certain document. Parliament occupies a very unique space. Parliament must be beyond reproach because we have the responsibility of overseeing all over other arms of government. When such negative publicity is made on such a project what do we do to reclaim our rightful space as Parliament,” Wandayi said.
In his remarks, Cherargei asserted that the Tower is not suitable for occupancy, citing issues such as malfunctioning lifts, poor ventilation in offices, inadequate lighting, and incomplete gym and kitchen facilities. He also alleged that some management personnel had experienced being stuck in the lifts previously. Additionally, Cherargei claimed that the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) had failed to provide evidence justifying the cost variations, which escalated from the initial budget of Sh5.89 billion in 2010 to Sh7.1 billion before reaching Sh9.6 billion.
Cherargei pointed out a comparison between Bunge Tower and the Central Bank Pension Towers, raising concerns about the significant disparity in costs and construction timelines. He highlighted that the Central Bank Pension Towers, a 27-storey ultra-modern building, was completed at a cost of Sh2.49 billion and officially opened by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in May 2022, after a construction period of over three and a half years.
However, Wetangula rebuked Cherargei, asserting that the contractor owed him no explanation regarding the building.
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| CBK Pension Towers on Harambee Avenue, CBD, Nairobi |
Construction of Bunge Towers has been a 14-year project in the works.
The access to the tower for Members of Parliament will be organized in two phases. Initially, the first phase will entail relocating MPs from the Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC) to the tower. Subsequently, in the second phase, the remaining MPs housed in the Continental House will be moved to the tower.
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