Top ten tallest buildings in Kenya

These are the top ten tallest buildings in Kenya:

1. BRITAM TOWERS

Opened to the public in July 2018, Britam Tower in Upper Hill, Nairobi stands tall at 200 meters, surpassing UAP Old Mutual Tower as the tallest building in Kenya. The 31-storey tower, constructed between early 2013 and September 2017, is renowned for its unique prismatic design. The building appears like a black pyramid with the top corner missing at its widest point, while from other perspectives, it transforms into a more slender black prism. In 2018, the building made history as the first in Africa to receive recognition in the Emporis Skyscrapers Award’s 19-year history, earning the title of the world’s 10th best skyscraper.

 

2. GTC TOWER Nairobi

Kenya’s list of tallest buildings has a new addition with the opening of the Nairobi GTC Office Tower, the tallest among the six towers of the Sh40 billion Global Trade Centre. The recently opened tower stands 184 meters tall and has 43 floors. It serves as the Africa headquarters for Chinese company, Avic, which is establishing its continental hub on a 7.5-acre land in Westlands, Nairobi.

The tower’s construction began in July 2015 and was completed last month.

 

3. UAP Old Mutual Tower

After a construction period of more than five years, the 33-storey UAP Old Mutual Tower opened its doors in July 2016, becoming the tallest building in Nairobi at a height of 163 meters. However, it lost this title to the Britam Tower later on. The tower is situated in the thriving commercial district of Upper Hill and offers around 300,000 square feet of Grade A office space. With its location at an altitude of 5,700 feet above sea level, the tower is the highest point in Nairobi, surpassing the Rahimtulla Tower which held this record previously.

 

4. GTC Nairobi Hotel

With the opening of the Nairobi GTC Hotel Tower, Kenya’s skyline adds a new towering structure to its list of skyscrapers. The 35-story building stands at 141 meters, making it the second tallest among the six towers of the Global Trade Centre.

JW Marriott, a prominent US hotel chain, is expected to occupy the hotel tower. The Nairobi GTC Hotel Tower was completed in just under six years, after construction began in July 2015. The hotel officially opened its doors to guests last month, marking a new milestone for Kenya’s hospitality industry.

 

5. TIMES TOWER

The New Central Bank Tower, popularly known as Times Tower, stands tall on Haile Selassie Avenue in Nairobi, Kenya. The 140-metre high skyscraper, which was opened in 2000, is exclusively occupied by the Kenya Revenue Authority.

The 38-storey building is constructed to withstand powerful earthquakes and sits on a concrete raft with a thickness ranging from 0.9 to 3.0 meters. In addition to its height, Times Tower boasts a 7-storey banking complex and an 11-split storey car park, making it an important landmark in the city.

 

6. PRISM TOWER

The Kings Prism Tower is a remarkable skyscraper in Upper Hill, Nairobi, standing at 133 meters tall.

Completed in 2018, the 34-storey building has a distinctive design that features prisms stacked upon prisms, giving it a striking appearance. When sunlight shines through the prismatic facades, a beautiful spectrum of colors is revealed, in line with the owner’s vision of inspiring creative productivity among the residents of Nairobi.

 

7. The Le’mac Towers

Le’mac Towers is a luxurious mixed-use development situated in the affluent Westlands area of Nairobi, conveniently located off Waiyaki Way. The development, which cost approximately KES 3.5 billion, is designed to cater to wealthy buyers and renters who seek exclusive housing in the city’s most sought-after neighbourhoods.

This 24-storey building, officially launched in 2019, provides office spaces on the 1st to 6th floors and upscale one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments from the 8th to 22nd floors. With a height of 126 metres, Le’mac Towers is currently the tallest residential building in Kenya.

The most impressive aspect of Le’mac Towers is the transparent glass floor skywalk located on the 24th floor, which offers breathtaking views of cars moving over 100 metres below your feet.

 

8. The Parliament Tower

The construction of the new Parliament tower in Nairobi is almost complete, following the topping out of the Sh5.8 billion office block, which is among the tallest buildings in Kenya. The 26-floor office block, developed by the Parliamentary Service Commission, stands 125 metres tall and occupies a one-acre plot located between Continental House and County Hall, adjacent to the Parliament buildings.

The primary purpose of the Parliament Tower, which began construction in March 2014, is to accommodate the expanded 418-member legislature.

China Jiangxi Construction Company is responsible for the implementation of the project.

 

9. The Telposta House

Located on Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi, Telposta Towers is a 120-metre office block that was completed in 1999. It claimed the title of the tallest building in Kenya at the time, surpassing the KICC.

Laxmanbhai Construction built this 27-story building, which accommodates Telkom Kenya, as well as various government ministries and departments, such as the Ministry of ICT.

 

10.Nairobi GTC Residential Tower 1

Nairobi GTC Residential Tower 1, which is the third tallest building in the six-tower Global Trade Centre, has been completed, adding to the list of Kenya’s tallest structures.

This 116-metre, 33-storey residential apartment tower began construction in July 2015 and was opened to the public last month.

There are several buildings in Kenya that measure over 100 metres tall. These include:

KCB Plaza:

Located in Nairobi’s Upper Hill district, KCB Plaza is a 109-metre, 21-storey skyscraper that serves as the regional headquarters of the Kenya Commercial Bank. Completed in 2014, the Sh2.1 billion office block incorporates green architecture, which is in line with the global trend of using modern technology to reduce maintenance costs.

Nairobi GTC Residential Tower 2 & 3:

Nairobi GTC Residential Tower 2 and 3 are two 31-storey buildings that are part of the Global Trade Centre. Soaring 109 metres towards the sky, these residential towers opened to the public last month.

Kenyatta International Convention Centre:

The Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), previously known as the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, is a 105-metre, 28-storey tower situated in the Nairobi City Square. Designed by Kenyan architect David Mutiso in collaboration with Norwegian designer Karl Henrik Nøstvik, KICC has a rotating restaurant that turns 360° in 76 minutes. The skyscraper, which was completed in 1974, surpassed the NSSF Building as the tallest building in Kenya and held this position for 25 years until it was overtaken by Telposta Tower.

Upper Hill Chambers:

Located on 2nd Ngong Avenue in Upper Hill, about 2km from the Nairobi central business district, 316 Upper Hill Chambers is a 104-metre, 26-storey tower owned by Upper Hill Chambers Ltd. The newly-built tower boasts 26 floors comprising three basement parking floors, ground floor, mezzanine floor, five upper parking floors, and 15 Grade A office floors.

Nairobi GTC Residential Tower 4:

Nairobi GTC Residential Tower 4 is the shortest of the six towers of the Global Trade Centre. The 103-metre, 29-storey building, which has been under construction since July 2015, opened its doors to the public last month.

Social Security House:

Also known as NSSF Building, Social Security House is a 103-metre, 28-storey tower that serves as the headquarters of the National Social Security Fund. Located on Bishops Road in Community, Nairobi, Social Security House was completed in 1973 and became the tallest building in Kenya ahead of the 1969-built Nairobi Hilton hotel. The latter had succeeded the IPS Building, which was built in 1967.