President William Ruto has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transforming Kenya into Africa’s premier destination for international conferences and business tourism following an inspection tour of the ongoing Sh42 billion Bomas International Convention Complex (BICC) in Nairobi. During the visit, the President expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of construction, describing the project as a strategic investment that will redefine Kenya’s position in the global meetings and events industry.
The President toured key sections of the expansive facility, where he received updates on construction progress from project engineers and officials. He commended the teams for maintaining high standards and ensuring the project remains on schedule, noting that timely completion is essential in delivering a world-class convention centre capable of competing with leading conference destinations across Africa and beyond.
Once completed, the Bomas International Convention Complex will significantly strengthen Nairobi’s position as the leading conferencing and events destination in East and Central Africa. The modern facility is expected to attract major regional and international meetings, exhibitions, trade fairs, and diplomatic summits, further enhancing Kenya’s reputation as a preferred hub for global engagements.
A key feature of the development is its impressive 11,000-seat auditorium, designed to host large-scale international conventions and high-profile gatherings. The complex will also include dedicated facilities capable of accommodating up to 30 Heads of State simultaneously, making it one of the few venues on the continent with the capacity to host major multilateral summits and continental forums.
President Ruto emphasized that the convention centre is central to the government’s broader strategy of expanding Kenya’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector. By providing world-class conference infrastructure, the country aims to attract more international delegates whose spending supports hotels, airlines, transport services, restaurants, tour operators and numerous small businesses, creating a multiplier effect across the economy.
The Head of State noted that the project aligns with the government’s ambitious tourism targets of attracting more than five million international visitors annually and generating over KSh1 trillion in tourism earnings by 2028. He observed that modern conference tourism complements traditional leisure tourism by ensuring year-round visitor arrivals and increasing average visitor spending.
Beyond the convention facilities, the integrated development will include international-standard hotels, a modern shopping mall and a multipurpose arena, creating a complete business and entertainment ecosystem. These complementary investments are expected to improve delegates’ overall experience while encouraging longer stays that generate additional revenue for the tourism and hospitality sectors.
President Ruto further underscored the project’s potential to create thousands of employment opportunities for Kenyans. Construction activities continue to provide jobs for engineers, architects, technicians and skilled labour, while the completed complex will support long-term employment in hospitality, event management, security, retail, transport and facility management.
The BICC is also expected to complement other major exhibition and conference facilities in Nairobi rather than compete with them directly. While existing venues continue to host exhibitions, trade fairs and business forums, the new complex will offer significantly larger capacity, more advanced technology and specialized facilities capable of accommodating mega international conferences that currently require larger venues abroad.
Government officials maintain that investments in flagship infrastructure projects form a critical pillar of President Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). They argue that expanding Kenya’s conference infrastructure will stimulate investment, increase foreign exchange earnings, strengthen business linkages and enhance Nairobi’s competitiveness as Africa’s gateway for international commerce and diplomacy.
Although the project has attracted public debate over its Sh42 billion cost, the government maintains that the long-term economic returns will substantially outweigh the initial investment. Increased conference tourism is expected to boost occupancy rates in hotels, support local enterprises, generate tax revenues and position Kenya as a preferred destination for international organizations, investors and multinational corporations seeking world-class meeting facilities.
As construction progresses toward completion, the Bomas International Convention Complex stands as one of Kenya’s most ambitious infrastructure projects. President Ruto expressed confidence that the facility will not only elevate Nairobi into a premier global conference city but also accelerate tourism growth, expand employment opportunities and strengthen Kenya’s role as a regional leader in business, diplomacy and international events.
