By Isaac Blessings
Kisumu is the third most developed city in Kenya after Nairobi and Mombasa. It is dotted with skyscrapers, malls and is considered the cleanest city in Kenya. Kisumu is home to Lake Victoria, the largest lake in the African Great Lakes region.
In this article, WoK takes a look at the tallest buildings in Kisumu and the companies behind them.
Mega Plaza Tower 2
The Mega Plaza tower 2 is the tallest building in Kisumu reaching a height of 62.64 meters above sea level. This high-rise building has a total of 17 floors and mostly acts as a commercial space occupied by different companies’ offices. The groundbreaking of the building began in early 2015 and was later completed in December 2017 before it was officially opened to the public in January 2018. The building is located along Oginga Odinga street right in the heart of Kisumu city. It sits on a 1.8 acre piece of land and covers a space of approximately 250,000 square feet. The building is owned by the Mega Properties Group which also owns a number of other buildings in different cities.
Also Read: Ten Tallest Buildings In Mombasa And The Architects Who Designed Them
Mega Plaza Tower 1
The Mega Plaza 1 is the second tallest building in Kisumu reaching up to 62.00 meters above sea level. It is located along Oginga Odinga road right next to the Mega Plaza 2 in the heart of Kisumu city. This high-rise building has a total of 17 floors which are mostly commercial spaces used by different companies as their offices. The building began construction in 2015 and was completed in 2017 before being commissioned and opened to the public in 2018. It is owned by the famous Mega Properties group limited.
Prosperity House (Nyanza provincial headquarters building)
The Prosperity House famously known as the Nyanza Provincial headquarters building comes third in the list of the tallest buildings in Kisumu city. The high-rise building reaches up to 51.58 meters above sea level. It is located along Awuor Otieno road in the heart of Kisumu city. The building has a total of 14 floors which are mainly used for commercial purposes. The building which was constructed in 1986 served as the headquarters of Nyanza province. It now houses the official offices of the county government of Kisumu, the county commissioner’s office and the Huduma center. It is owned by the government of Kenya.
Also Read: Best Estates In Kisumu Where The Rich Live And Cost Of Land
Varsity Plaza
Varsity Plaza famously known as the Kenya National Assurance House also joins the list of tallest buildings in Kisumu city. The high-rise building reaches up to 51 meters above sea level and is located off Achieng’ Oneko road opposite Kisumu hotel. It has 14 floors which are mainly used as university offices and classrooms. The building is owned and regulated by the administration of Maseno University hence the name ‘Varsity Plaza.’
Re-insurance Plaza
The famous Re-Insurance plaza could not miss in the list of tallest buildings in Kisumu. This high-rise building reaches up to 29.48 meters above sea level. It is located along New Station road just adjacent to the Varsity Plaza building. The building has a total of 8 floors which are mainly used as commercial spaces for businesses and offices for companies. This iconic building sits on a 2.23 acre piece of land and is owned by the Kenya Re Company limited.
Also Read: Top Ten Richest Luos And Their Businesses
East Africa Society Building
The East Africa Society Building is a low rise building located along Oginga Odinga road right in the heart of Kisumu city. The building is among the tallest buildings in Kisumu reaching up to 29.4 meters above sea level. It has a total of eight floors which are mainly used as institutional offices. The building is owned and managed by the East African Building Society (EABS) – a company that is in the building and construction sector in Kisumu.
Nairobi University Kisumu Campus New Building
The new building built by the prestigious University of Nairobi is also among the list of the tallest buildings in Kisumu city. The low-rise building reaches a height of up to 25.79 meters above sea level. The groundbreaking of the building began in 2015 and was later brought to completion in late 2017. The building has 7 floors which are primarily used as offices and classrooms of the university. It is located along Oginga Odinga Street and is owned and governed by the administration of University of Nairobi.
Also Read: Tallest Buildings in Nairobi And The Architects Who Designed Them
Imperial hotel
The Imperial hotel also joins the list of tallest buildings in Kisumu city. The low rise building reaches a height of up to 25.7 meters above sea level. It is situated along the Achieng’ Oneko road off Jomo Kenyatta Highway right in the heart of Kisumu Central Business District (CBD). The building has a total of 7 floors which are occupied by the hotel and either serve as restaurants, board rooms, lounges or accommodation. It is owned and managed by the Gilani family who are at the helm of the hotel’s leadership.
Also Read: Tallest Buildings in Nairobi And The Architects Who Designed Them
Central Bank of Kenya
The Central Bank of Kenya building also joins the list of the tallest buildings in Kisumu city. The low-rise building has a height of up to 18.42 meters above sea level. It is located along Achieng’ Oneko road in the Kisumu city center and has a total of 5 floors that are occupied by the Central Bank of Kenya. It is managed and governed by the national government of Kenya.
Lake Basin Mall
The Lake Basin Mall building closes the list of top ten tallest buildings in Kisumu. It reaches a height of up to 17.1 meters above sea level. The building is situated at the junction of the Northern Bypass and the Kisumu-Kakamega highway. It houses the largest mall in the Western and Nyanza regions among other businesses occupied in the building. The building is owned and managed by the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA).
Note: Did we leave out any building on the top ten list of the tallest buildings in Kisumu? If so, please let us know by getting in touch with us on this email: whownskenya@gmail.com.
