JKIA Modernisation Project Worth KSh154bn Targeted for Mid-2029 Completion

The KSh154 billion modernisation of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is slated for completion by mid-2029, according to officials briefed to the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure.

The committee, chaired by Ndia MP George Kariuki, inspected the project on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, and received a briefing from the State Department for Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Kenya Airports Authority and the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).

Principal Secretary for Aviation and Aerospace Development Teresiah Mbaika told lawmakers that the airport now handles more than 10 million passengers a year against a designed capacity of 7.5 million, a shortfall the modernisation programme seeks to address following the 2025 master plan.

Mbaika explained that the government moved to CRBC after an earlier arrangement with India’s Adani Group encountered challenges, prompting an open tender launched on March 3, 2026 and closed in May 2026, which attracted two bidders before CRBC was awarded the KSh154 billion contract inclusive of tax.

Committee members questioned why procurement responsibility shifted from the Kenya Airports Authority to the Ministry of Roads and Transport and urged the contractor to demonstrate meaningful involvement of Kenyan firms and professionals, with Limuru MP John Kiragu warning against foreign companies registering locally to capture work.

Kariuki reinforced the demand for greater local participation and cautioned against importing all materials, while officials outlined the three-part scope – runway improvements, terminal optimisation to raise passenger handling to 12 million annually, and a new taxiway serving domestic and international operations – with an 18-month construction phase within a 36-month overall timeline.

CRBC project managers highlighted their experience on major airport projects such as the expansion of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa and other works in Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Dubai, and the committee observed more than 100 machines carrying out excavation at the site.

Completion of the modernisation is expected to alleviate capacity constraints and mark a significant milestone in expanding JKIA’s infrastructure to meet growing passenger demand.