The long-delayed upgrade of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is finally gathering momentum, 229 days after President William Ruto dramatically scrapped the controversial Adani Group contract. The Ministry of Roads and Transport now says ground will be broken before the end of the year, signaling renewed urgency to modernize Kenya’s busiest aviation hub.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir confirmed that the government is in the final stages of securing funding from a pool of global financiers, but with one crucial difference: the airport will leverage its own balance sheet, in a move aimed at preserving Kenya’s fiscal independence and boosting transparency.
The new financing strategy follows the termination of the Adani deal in November 2024, after President Ruto cited troubling contractual clauses and lack of transparency, a decision that marked a significant policy shift in how Kenya engages in public infrastructure partnerships.
“In furtherance of principles enshrined in Article 10 of the Constitution, on transparency and accountability… I therefore direct the cancellation of the ongoing procurement process,” the president stated then, in a bid to reset Kenya’s infrastructure development ethos.
Since then, the Ministry has embarked on a series of engagements with key development financial institutions, including the European Investment Bank, KfW (Germany), France’s AFD, Japan’s JICA, China Exim Bank, and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. The approach, officials say, not only seeks to unlock new funding streams but also reduces reliance on opaque bilateral deals.
“We are really conscious about this,” CS Davis Chirchir said. “Remember our airport got burnt and is on a tent, and so we are working round the clock to see whether we can break ground before the end of this year.”
The renewed JKIA upgrade plan is expected to address long-standing structural challenges at the facility, which has struggled with capacity issues and outdated infrastructure, particularly since a major fire in 2013 that destroyed parts of the arrivals terminal.
If realized, this development could mark a critical step in positioning Nairobi as a competitive regional aviation hub on terms that are financially prudent and publicly accountable.
