The appointment was announced through Gazette Notice No. 8260 and takes effect from June 5, 2026.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by paragraph 5 (1) (a) of the Konza Technopolis Development Authority Order, 2012, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint– ABDUL BAHARI ALI as the Non-Executive Chairperson of the Board of the Konza Technopolis Development Authority, for a period of three (3) years, with effect from the 5th June, 2026," the notice states.
Ali succeeds Prof. Raphael Munavu, who served as the Non-Executive Chairperson of the authority's board until his death in April 24, 2026.
Prof. Munavu was re-appointed to the position in March 2026 to continue steering the implementation of Kenya's ambitious "Silicon Savannah" initiative.
Following his passing, the chairperson's position had remained substantively vacant pending the appointment of a permanent successor.
Konza Technopolis is one of the flagship projects under Kenya's Vision 2030 development blueprint. Located approximately 60 kilometres south-east of Nairobi along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, the 5,000-acre smart city is designed to attract investment in information and communications technology, life sciences, engineering, and emerging industries.
Often referred to as Kenya's "Silicon Savannah", the project seeks to position the country as a regional innovation and technology hub while supporting the transition to a knowledge-based economy.
The Authority's mission is to build a thriving sustainable Smart City and a vibrant innovation ecosystem contributing to Kenya's knowledge economy.
Over the years, Konza has rolled out critical infrastructure projects, including the National Data Centre, innovation programmes targeting start-ups and entrepreneurs, and digital empowerment initiatives aimed at equipping young people with technology skills.
Ali's appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the technopolis as the government seeks to accelerate investor uptake and advance the next phase of development of one of Kenya's most high-profile and transformative projects.