The government has finally broken down the timeline for the much-talked-about modernization of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), with the project now set to be completed within three years.
Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Davis Chirchir, in a status report released on June 18, has given Kenyans a clear picture of what to expect. The upgrade has been divided into three main parts: improving the existing airfield, renovating the current terminals, and building a brand new terminal building.
According to Chirchir, the rehabilitation of the existing airfield will take about 15 months of construction, followed by a 24-month defects notification period. This part of the project is aimed at improving the runway and airside infrastructure to make operations safer and more efficient.
The renovation of the current passenger terminals will take about 18 months, also followed by a 24-month defects period. Once this is done, JKIA's capacity will go up from the current 7.5 million passengers per year to 12 million, which should be enough to handle demand up to 2029.
The biggest part of the project is the construction of a new terminal that will handle 10 million passengers annually. This one will take approximately 36 months to build, with another 24-month defects notification period after that. The new terminal will serve both domestic and international travelers and is designed to work smoothly with the existing airport infrastructure, including taxiways, aprons, and access systems.
Once everything is done, JKIA's total capacity will jump to about 22 million passengers every year. This is all part of the government's bigger plan to make the airport a regional aviation hub.
President William Ruto recently announced that the upgrades will kick off in July, which means the project should be completed by 2029.
Cost and Financing
According to Chirchir, the government does not expect the contract award to exceed Ksh154.2 billion. The government has already brought on board Trade Development Bank and the African Finance Corporation as lead arrangers to help structure the financing for the project.
However, there has been some confusion in the past week after reports emerged that the government had awarded China Communications Construction Company a Ksh375.4 billion ($2.9 billion) contract for the upgrade under the newly established National Infrastructure Fund.
CS Chirchir Clears the Air
In his report, Chirchir was quick to dismiss these reports, terming them misinformation.
"We wish to clarify that the company referred to in those reports did not participate in this procurement process as a bidder and has no role, involvement or association whatsoever with this project," Chirchir stated.
He went on to explain that the company was not part of any contractors who submitted bids for the tender. "Furthermore, all contractors were required to submit a legally binding disclosure of all parties in joint ventures and in none of them is the said entity part of," he added.
The CS also dismissed reports linking controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo to the project. "I think he only features in the media. He is not anywhere in our documents as a partner to any of the bidders," Chirchir said.
Chirchir insisted that the procurement process was conducted through an open international competitive bidding process in line with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act. The Request for Proposals was issued on March 3, 2026, and closed on May 14, 2026, and no contract has been awarded yet.
"The figure of Ksh375 billion is two and a half times the cost that we do not expect to exceed," Chirchir clarified.
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