As infrastructure expands at Konza Technopolis, 1,000 acres have been set aside as a wildlife corridor, creating designated space for animals to continue moving through an area undergoing development.
The corridor is part of the master plan for the 5,000-acre Technopolis, where roads, residential developments, educational institutions and other facilities are being established. Its inclusion reflects the need to accommodate wildlife while preparing the area for urban and commercial activity.
Brian Chage Mwaura, a quantity surveyor at the Technopolis Development Authority, said the decision was informed by the area’s history and the presence of wildlife before the development began.
“We intend to coexist together with our wildlife as where Konza is, was once a reserve, but through deliberations and talks with the National Wildlife Service and the Kenyan National Government, the land was allocated and we could not now forcefully evict the animals away from their natural habitat,” he said.
Mwaura said the corridor had been designated towards the far end of the Technopolis, in the direction of Mombasa, to allow animals to move without interference from activities in the developed sections.
“So what we did, towards the far end of the Konza Technopolis, as if you’re going towards the Mombasa side, there is a whole corridor put aside to allow wildlife to freely move around and ensure that they continue to have their regular operations, if I may say, without any interference,” he said.
The provision sits within a wider development that already has a road network spanning more than 40 kilometres. The roads connect different sections of the Technopolis, including areas designated for commercial, residential, educational, technological and industrial use.
The scale of the infrastructure makes the allocation of space for wildlife a significant element of the city’s planning, particularly as additional facilities and buildings are developed.
John Paul Okwiri, chief executive officer of the Technopolis Development Authority, said the corridor was incorporated into the city’s biodiversity and environmental conservation plans.
“We also have 1,000 acres of wildlife corridor. That provides for conservation of our environment and also ensuring that the wildlife are also taken care of within our biodiversity plan,” he said.
The corridor forms one part of Konza’s wider approach to environmental planning. Development guidelines also require investors to retain space for landscaping and greenery within their plots, rather than covering entire parcels with buildings.
Under the guidelines, only 60 per cent of a parcel may be developed with buildings, while the remaining space is reserved for landscaping, trees and greenery.
These provisions establish environmental considerations alongside the infrastructure needed to support a growing urban centre.
