Kenya: Foundation stone laying ceremony of Extelcoms House, new headquarters of the East African External Telecommunications Company Limited by the President of Kenya, His Excellency Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

Record ID: 229694

  • Title: Kenya: Foundation stone laying ceremony of Extelcoms House, new headquarters of the East African External Telecommunications Company Limited by the President of Kenya, His Excellency Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
  • Date: 28th May 1969
  • Summary: ROLL ONE: LS Extelcoms House; CU sign; CU Model of building; shot of flags; President Kenyatta arrives, out of car and greeted by Minister for Power and Communication; Chairman of Extelcom; and senior dignitaries; President takes salute; President into hall and greeted by guests; shots of chairman of External Telecommunications Co Mr. John Keto addressing; Minister addressing; general shots of guests; President Kenyatta addressing; more general shots. ROLL TWO: general shots; CU shots stone which President was laying; many shots of President laying foundation stone; CU President laying foundation stone; more shots President laying foundation stone; general shots; President watching model of building; more general shots; shots of police band at the foundation stone laying; President leaves; many shots President into car and drivers away; President waves to crowds; LS building where foundation stone was laid. Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 12th June 1969 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NAIROBI
  • Country: Kenya
  • Reuters ID: LVA3F1W6DARMFN3CS0YL02WR37SD
  • Story Text: Speakers: The President of Kenya, His Excellency, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

    The Kenya Minister of Power and Communications, the Hon. James Nyamweya.

    The chairman of Extelcoms and Director General of East African Psots & Telecommunications, Mr. John Keto.

    The Managing Director of Cable and Wireless Limited, Mr. H. H. Eggers.

    Sixty per cent of Extelcoms is owned by the East African Governments; 40 per cent by Cable and Wireless Limited.

    The board is director is:
    John Keto, Esq. - Chairman (also Director-General E.A.P & T)
    J. Brown, Esq. - (Assistant Director-General (Finance) E.A.P. & T.)
    P. Shiyukah, Esq. - (Permanent Secretary Kenya Ministry of Power and Communications)
    ??? Ocan, Esq. - (Permanent, Uganda Ministry of Works, Communications and Housing)
    ??? rengelo, Esq. - (Permanent Secretary, Tanzania Ministry of Communications and Works)
    H. N. Eggers, Esq. - Managing Director, Cable & Wireless Ltd.

    R. A. Rice, Esq. - Executive Director, Cable & Wireless Ltd.

    W. H. Davies, Esq. - Executive Director, Cable & Wireless Ltd.

    General Manager, Mr. H.Z.E. Ramogo.

    Background
    Cost: GBP525,000 Kenyan, including air conditioning and other services, but excluding telecommunications equipment, tenants partitioning and professional fees.

    Tenders opened December 16, 1969, contract placed with Messrs. Laxmanbhai and Company. Work began January 1969. Central Telegraph Office ready September 1969 for installation of equipment, to be operational by end of the year.

    Tower block due to be completed September 1970. Nine floors of office accommodation to be leased by Tysons Limited.

    Base, 275 feet long and 100 feet wide, to have two storeys. Tower will be 10 storeys above this.

    Built largely of East African materials (200 miles of reinforcing steel from Jinja, in 170,000 cubic feet of concrete).

    200 k.w. standby generator in basement.

    Car parking for 40 cars in basement.

    As well as housing Extelcoms headquarters, the building will handle all telecommunications traffic to and from the satellite earth station under construction near Mount Margaret in the Rift Valley and as such is a vital link in Africa's step into space-age telecommunications.

    Your Excellency, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

    It is with great pleasure that I have to welcome your Excellency to the site of the proposed new Headquarters of the East African External Telecommunications Company Limited. As well as being Kenya's Minister for communications, I am also Kenya's representative on the East African communications Council, and, while naturally proud that my own country has been select to house both the satellite earth station and the fine new Extelcoms Headquarters, it is in an East African context that I would ask you to view the entire project.

    Sites were technically surveyed and examined in our partner countries before any final selection was made, and the location of the headquarters housing the linking tail-end equipment in Nairobi followed as a natural consequence. The link had to be near the source as well as the gate-way of this great venture of satellite communications systems.

    But the benefit of satellite communication by the very size of its concept can never be restricted to one country and, by forging yet another communal bond between our partner States, we strike another blow at the pessimists who see, because it suits their purpose, no future in a body such as the Last African Community.

    At present the partner states are growing from strength to strength and I assure you Your Excellency that communications systems interlinking East African and other countries are playing their vital role in this process.

    Through East Africa's satellite earth station, and through the building on whose site we now are, will come the benefits of advanced technology in communications. These benefits of more adequate and speedier communication will be shared by the people of East Africa and those neighbouring states who have already expressed their willingness to participate in our development endeavours through the East African Community. From this building by way of the satellite will go a better knowledge of East Africa to the world.

    I must congratulate the External Telecommunications Company for its contribution to the development and welfare of East African and express the hope that the company will continue to enjoy outstanding success in the future ahead.
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