The entrance of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. (Inset from left: Cofek Secretary-General Stephen Mutoro, Transparency International Kenya Executive Director Sheila Masinde, LSK president Charles Kanjama and Busia senator Okiya Omtatah.
Pressure is mounting for the State to come clean on the status of a contract for the upgrade of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), amid disclosures that a Chinese firm is leading the process.
The civil society, legislators and lawyers have sounded the alarm on opaqueness in the procurement of the multi-billion- shilling contract, and have threatened to take legal action to pressure the government into revealing parties involved in the contract.
Amidst the pressure, agencies engaged in procurement of the contract have remained mum, uncharacteristic of their conduct since they started publicising the expansion early this year.
The Nation has, however, established that the contract for JKIA modernisation and expansion has been awarded to a Chinese firm, with signing scheduled for next week.
At least two sources within agencies charged with overseeing the airport upgrade procurement confirmed that the contract was awarded this month. It is awaiting a 14-day period during which unsatisfied bidders are allowed to challenge the process legally.
One of the sources said the contract is valued at Sh150 billion, while the other said its cost will range between Sh160 billion and Sh180 billion, depending on exchange rate movements.
A section of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in this picture taken on April 27, 2025.
A source within Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) said that signing of the contract is scheduled for next week, indicating that two Chinese firms, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and Sinohydro, bid for the contract.
“All indications were showing that it was leaning towards CRBC. The Ministry (of roads and transport) has been handling the procurement,” the KAA source said.
Tender for the JKIA upgrade was opened on March 3, 2026, another source with knowledge of the procurement process told the Nation.
The sources spoke anonymously in order to provide the details freely, due to the pressure it has attracted, following information that a company linked to Zimbabwean businessman, Wicknell Chivayo, will implement the contract together with CRBC in a joint partnership.
Zimbabwean entrepreneur and regional investor Wicknell Chivayo and President William Ruto.
As the sources within government made the revelations, civil society groups, lawyers and political leaders criticised the government for driving a process touching on a strategic national asset in secrecy and warned they would be heading to court.
Busia senator Okiya Omtatah raised concerns that while there is a legitimate need to upgrade the airport, the government failed to engage Kenyans during the procurement process for the airport upgrade, leaving them in the dark.
The senator noted that parliament has also been kept in the dark, and details are scanty regarding the risks the taxpayers are exposed to.
“The requirements of transparency in terms of financial matters and obligations of the state on access to information have been violated, and the whole thing is being procured in contemptuous disregard of the constitution. It is not acceptable at all, and it must be resisted, and we are going to resist it,” Mr Omtatah said.
“We are going to stop it, we are going to block it within the confines of the law, we'll try to use both political and judicial means to stop it,” he added.
Transparency International Kenya also criticised the State for opaqueness that mimicked a previous attempt to push through a similar contract with India-based Adani Group, owned by billionaire Gautam Adani. The government shelved the Adani deal after public pressure.
The lobby has demanded that the government provide all information regarding the procurement process, “including publishing the details of the bidding and contract award process, contract terms and beneficial ownership of the company awarded.”
“Also key is full information on the financing model, including any debt obligations Kenyans are being committed to. We also call on Parliament to provide effective oversight to safeguard the public interest in the process, as we in the public remain vigilant,” said Sheila Masinde, the Executive Director at Transparency International Kenya.
Meanwhile, the Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) on Wednesday said that it had instructed its lawyers to file a fresh constitutional petition challenging the award of the contract due to undisclosed involvement of a company linked to Mr Chivayo.
Cofek Secretary-General Stephen Mutoro said the lobby’s suit is based on information it has showing that the contract has been awarded to a consortium led by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the parent company of CRBC.
“Cofek has established that joint-venture partner IMC Construction Kenya Limited is wholly owned by Chivayo - a man Cofek had already petitioned the High Court to bar from Kenya entirely (HCCHR Petition No. E083 of 2026), citing his fraud and money-laundering record and tender scandals in Zimbabwe, including the Gwanda solar project and Zimbabwe Electoral Commission contracts,” Mr Mutoro said.
Passengers exit Jomo Kenyatta International Airport's international arrivals terminal.
The lobby raised concerns that the Zimbabwean businessman’s company lacks an airport construction track record.
Lawyer Donald Kipkorir on Tuesday also criticised the State over secrecy in the procurement process, also raising concerns regarding details that Mr Chivayo, the Zimbabwean businessman, is involved.
“Why is it so hard for our government to build a new international airport as Ethiopia and Rwanda have done in an above-board deal? Why do we like to use people with criminal pasts? Is it so hard to undertake a multi-billion-shilling project with open transparency?” Mr Kipkorir posed.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) questioned the disregard for public procurement laws in a contract that will cost taxpayers billions of shillings.
“I foresee a situation where this whole process is going to be challenged in court. We must be told whoever owns the company getting this contract and the faces behind it,” said Cornel Oduor, the KHRC head of communications.
Dodging responsibility
Despite the growing pressure, KAA and the Ministry of Roads and Transport have not made any communication to the public.
A source from KAA yesterday said the agency is yet to issue a statement clarifying the progress of the procurement to the public since the process is being driven by the ministry.
The agency has, however, been at the forefront of championing the project since the year started and was the first to deny claims that Adani Group had been awarded the contract in March 2026.
An aerial shot of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in this photo taken on December 25, 2021.
“KAA confirms that the Privately Initiated Proposal with the Adani Group was formally cancelled, and there are no discussions with the Group or any of its affiliates in relation to JKIA. The JKIA modernisation and expansion programme is a Government of Kenya-funded initiative and implemented in accordance with established public-sector policies and procedures,” it said in a statement on March 3, 2026.
This was the same day the tender for the contract currently under scrutiny was opened.
In a statement on the same day, Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said KAA was driving the process for JKIA expansion, after a feasibility study was concluded in February 2026.
JKIA expansion is meant to address congestion during peak operating hours that has affected the efficiency of the airport.
The project aims to grow the airport’s capacity from handling about 8.9 million passengers annually to about 22.3 million passengers by 2045, and to more than double cargo capacity to 860,400 tonnes.
“The airport operates with a single runway and a terminal complex that has evolved incrementally over time, resulting in space and circulation constraints,” CS Chirchir said in March.
The project, to be implemented in two phases concurrently, entails the upgrade of the existing runway, developing a partial parallel taxiway and construction of two exit taxiways and a runway end exit taxiway, to reduce runway occupancy times and increase overall runway throughput.
It also involves expansion of existing passenger terminal facilities, digitisation of passenger processing systems and optimisation of existing vehicle parking facilities, the ministry said, noting that KAA would implement the project.
In a media engagement forum on March 10, KAA said phase one of the project would focus on improvement works to increase the airport’s capacity to 12 million passengers annually within 18 months, while the final phase would entail construction of a new 4,500m parallel runway and a 230,000 square metres passenger terminal capable of handling 10 million additional passengers annually.
“To accelerate the progress, the two phases will be implemented concurrently, with groundbreaking expected in June this year. The JKIA Master Plan and airport designs are being undertaken by Dar Al-Handasah (Shair & Partners), a globally recognised engineering & aviation consultancy,” KAA said.
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