JKIA expansion gets fresh impetus after call for new bids
National
By
Irene Githinji
| May 15, 2026
The government has finally set in motion the expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), following the return of fresh bidding for the ambitious project.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir told the National Assembly Committee on Transport and Infrastructure yesterday that the process of receiving bids has been initiated, which will then be subjected to evaluation.
“We have opened the bids for JKIA this morning (Thursday) and in the next 10 days, evaluation will be undertaken and then we are hoping to break ground in the first 10 days of June,” he told the committee when presenting the Financial Year 2026/27 estimates of revenue and expenditure.
President William Ruto had stated that construction works for a modern and world-class airport to replace the ageing JKIA would begin in June 2026, to address congestion, boost tourism and trade and position Kenya as a regional aviation hub.
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In March, the President announced that the expansion of JKIA would be among the first major projects to be financed through the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), noting that its contract had been announced and would be structured with about Sh20 billion from the proceeds of the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Initial Public Offering (IPO).
Earlier plans to expand the airport were met with resistance, as controversies marred the then-contracted company, Adani Group.
In November 2024, the President directed the Ministries of Transport and Energy to cancel the deal proposed by the Adani Group to take over the country’s infrastructure in the energy and aviation sectors. The president said the decision was attributed to credible evidence from the relevant agencies.
“Based on new information provided by our investigative agencies and partner nations - that the procuring agencies within the Ministry of Transport and for Energy immediately cancels the ongoing procurement process for the JKIA expansion public private partnership transaction, as well as the recently concluded KETRACO transmission line public private partnership contract, and immediately commence the process of onboarding alternative partners,” said Ruto, in his State of the Nation Address.
Adani had proposed a Sh260 billion deal to renovate JKIA) for 30 years and provide Sh95 billion to develop the transmission lines, all under the public-private partnership model.
At the same time, the CS told the committee that the State Department of Roads' draft budget has an allocation of Sh234.6 billion against a resource requirement of Sh487.8 billion, resulting in a budget shortfall of Sh253.2 billion.
He said the shortfall on the government budget necessitates the use of alternative and innovative financing mechanisms like securitisation and public-private partnership to bridge financing gaps.