NSSF to build East Africa’s tallest building in Nairobi CBD
The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has unveiled plans to construct the tallest building in East and Central Africa in Nairobi’s Central Business District, marking one of the boldest property investments ever undertaken by a Kenyan pension fund.
The Ksh.30 billion NSSF Twin Towers project, to be developed at the junction of Uhuru Highway and Kenyatta Avenue, will see the Fund transform an idle prime plot into a landmark mixed-use skyscraper that will redefine Nairobi’s skyline and cement the city’s position as a regional commercial hub.
NSSF Managing Trustee and Chief Executive Officer David Koros said the decision to go vertical reflects both commercial logic and long-term planning for workers’ savings.
“That land has been idle for years and has not been giving contributors any benefit. It is valued at about Ksh.4 billion, and our objective is to unlock that value through redevelopment and sell the completed units to investors so the money flows back to the Fund,” Koros highlighted.
Once completed, Tower A will rise to 60 storeys, about 260 metres, making it the tallest building in both East and Central Africa. Tower B will stand at 35 storeys, approximately 140 metres. The complex will host premium office space, a business hotel, serviced residential apartments, retail outlets and conference facilities, alongside an observation deck on the 56th floor and parking for about 1,150 vehicles.
The scale of the project puts it well ahead of existing regional landmarks. Currently, Britam Towers stands at 200 metres, followed by GTC Tower at 184 metres. Other notable tall buildings include Ethiopia’s Commercial Bank headquarters at 209 metres, Nairobi’s Old Mutual Tower at 163 metres, and Times Tower at 140 metres.
NSSF expects construction to take about three years, with ground-breaking planned for later this year once all regulatory approvals are finalised. The project will be built by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company.
Koros said the Fund is targeting a minimum return of 12 per cent, with potential upside depending on market conditions, reinforcing NSSF’s role as a long-term institutional investor.
Beyond returns, the Twin Towers signal a deliberate push to re-energise Nairobi’s CBD, which has increasingly become a daytime-only business district.
“We want people to live in the city again. When you introduce housing, hotels and retail into the CBD, business activity extends beyond office hours and supports a 24-hour economy,” Koros said
If delivered as planned, the NSSF Twin Towers will not only unlock value from a dormant Ksh.4 billion parcel of land, but also place Nairobi at the centre of the region’s race for vertical growth, with Kenyan workers’ savings literally standing tallest.
