JKIA Expansion Cost Set At Sh154.2bn As Government Rejects Sh375bn Claims
News Updated: 18 June 2026 22:32 EAT
Transport CS Davis Chirchir
The government has reaffirmed that the planned expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) will cost about Sh154.2 billion, dismissing reports circulating in parts of the media and online platforms that placed the figure at Sh375 billion.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said the project remains within a structured government-led framework, implemented through the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) as the designated executing agency. He stressed that the initiative is still at the procurement stage and no binding construction contract has been signed.
Officials clarified that the ongoing process involves evaluation of bids and technical proposals under public procurement rules, with final contract award yet to be concluded. The government maintains that cost estimates remain subject to refinement once the contracting phase is complete.
The ministry further rejected suggestions that the JKIA upgrade had been awarded or linked to any private concession arrangement involving controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo, stating there is no formal or informal role attributed to him in the project.
Chirchir has insisted that the airport modernisation programme is a state-funded infrastructure initiative designed to expand capacity, improve passenger handling systems, and upgrade airside operations in line with projected aviation growth to 2045.
The JKIA expansion plan follows an integrated master plan developed by KAA, which outlines phased upgrades including terminal expansion, runway optimisation, and construction of additional taxiways to address congestion at the airport.
Government planning documents indicate the airport is operating beyond its design capacity, handling millions of passengers annually above its intended threshold, a situation that has driven the need for major infrastructure expansion.
Under the current framework, the project includes development of a new passenger terminal with capacity for millions of additional travellers, alongside modernization of baggage handling systems, security processing, and access roads.
Authorities have also highlighted plans for improvements to airside infrastructure, including runway efficiency upgrades and expansion of aircraft parking stands to support increasing regional and international traffic.
The government has emphasised that the project will be implemented in phases extending toward mid-century projections, aligning with Kenya’s long-term aviation strategy and broader economic development goals.
Officials have further assured stakeholders that transparency measures are being observed throughout the procurement process, with public updates expected as the tendering phase advances.
The controversy around cost estimates emerged amid wider public debate over earlier proposals and cancelled private-sector participation models that had previously been associated with higher valuations and concession-based structures.
Those earlier arrangements were abandoned following legal and political scrutiny, with authorities now maintaining a purely government-led development model for the airport upgrade.
The JKIA expansion remains one of Kenya’s largest ongoing infrastructure priorities, aimed at positioning Nairobi as a stronger regional aviation hub while addressing long-standing capacity and operational constraints at the airport.
Tags: Article Boris Johnson Resigns Davis Chirchir Editor's Pick Editors choice Factual data Get facts Ministry Of Roads And Transport Ministry Of Transport Signs Signs Media Kenya Limited Signsmedia Signstv Signstvkenya
Share this article
FELIX MAKONA
FACT FINDER AND DATA DRIVEN JOURNALIST. DATA MINING AT IT'S BEST. GET FACTS RANGING FROM MATTERS DISABILITY AND INCLUSION, POLITICS, ECONOMY, SPORTS AND GENERAL NEWS AROUND THE WORLD