Historic Milestone: Construction Begins on 10-Story CMR Complex.

The Institute is embarking on a significant transformation with the commencement of the construction of a new, stateof-the-art research building at the Center for Microbiology Research (CMR) in Nairobi.

The KEMRI Centre for Microbiology Research (CMR) office is currently housed within an old pre-fab building constructed in the early 70s and roofed in asbestos. The building has settled over the years and is prone to flooding during heavy rains. The development, comprising basement parking, ground floor and eight other floors has been designed to accommodate; KEMRI Graduate School, CMR, RCTP and NIUTM labs and offices.

The cost of construction and completion is estimated at a cost of KES. 1.078B comprising preliminaries, the structure, electrical, mechanical, structured cabling and civil works components. The construction will be done in phases starting with the main structure with furnishing coming in the last phase. The first phase of the Project will use the available project budget for 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 Financial Years amounting to approximately Kshs. 250M.

Demolition of the historic wooden structures and refurbished container offices, previously housing the Research Care and Training Program (RCTP), has begun to pave the way for this ambitious project. The wooden structures, dating back 46 years, once served as the nascent home of the Institute. These buildings predate the current CMR facilities, which were constructed in January 1982 to support a collaborative communicable diseases research and control project between KEMRI and JICA-Kenya.

Over the years, these structures have housed various research scientists from both CMR and the Centre for Public Health Research (CPHR) and a number of regional and international collaborative on tour of duty. The RCTP, a collaboration involving KEMRI, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and the University of Washington (UW), was also based within these facilities.

The new construction marks a symbolic and practical milestone, transforming the same grounds that nurtured a fledgling institution into the site of KEMRI’s tallest building. This ultra-modern research complex, set to rise slightly over 10floors, is expected to be completed in less than a year, providing a much-needed facelift to one of the oldest research centers in the region.

Today, CMR operates numerous laboratories across four sub-centers in Nairobi, including the headquarters Central Laboratory Complex in Mbagathi and facilities at Kenyatta National Hospital, as well as in Kisumu and the coastal town of Kwale. The center has attracted esteemed collaborators such as the Nagasaki University Institute of Tropical Medicine (NUITM) and RCTP. Additionally, CMR conducts medical examinations for employees in the hospitality industry, including hotels, schools, and manufacturing industries, at its Nairobi and Kwale stations.

While the ongoing construction has temporarily disrupted the usual serene working environment within both the CMR and CPHR complexes, it has necessitated the relocation of office and research facilities within the existing infrastructure. The anticipation for the new building reflects a broader vision for KEMRI’s future, ensuring that it remains at the forefront of medical research and collaboration.

The construction of this ultra-modern research complex signifies not just an architectural evolution but a continued commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and public health.