The government has officially launched a new plan to expand Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), months after terminating a controversial multi-billion shilling agreement with Adani Group. Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir announced that the new expansion strategy is aimed at decongesting the country’s busiest airport while significantly increasing both passenger and cargo handling capacity.
New Tender Advertised
The government has now invited investors to bid for the construction and upgrade works through a competitive tendering process. The project will involve building a brand-new passenger terminal and modernising existing airport facilities. According to CS Chirchir, the bidding process will strictly adhere to the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act (PPDA) regulations to ensure transparency and accountability.
We are competitively advertising for interested bidders. The process will follow all PPDA rules on bid opening and evaluation in line with the law
CS ChirchirHe added that the airport master plan has been under development since February last year, with the feasibility study completed recently.
Why the Expansion Is Necessary
JKIA currently handles approximately nine million passengers annually, exceeding its original design capacity of 7.5 million. Over the years, incremental upgrades have created operational bottlenecks across terminals, aircraft movement areas, and access roads. Passenger numbers are projected to surge from 9 million to over 22 million, while cargo volumes are expected to grow from 407,000 tonnes in 2025 to more than 860,000 tonnes by 2045. Authorities warn that failure to expand the facility could negatively affect efficiency, safety, and Kenya’s competitiveness as a regional aviation hub.
Key Features of the New Plan
The proposed expansion will include:
- Construction of a new passenger terminal capable of handling an additional 10 million travellers annually
- Expansion and upgrade of existing runways
- Development of a partial parallel taxiway and additional rapid exit taxiways
- Increased aircraft parking space
- Upgraded access roads to ease congestion
The CS also revealed that the current airport facilities will undergo optimisation upgrades within 15 months, increasing handling capacity to 12 million passengers annually even before the new terminal is completed. The government aims to complete the new airport infrastructure within three years.
Airport City and Special Economic Zone
Beyond aviation improvements, the master plan includes the creation of an Airport City and a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) around JKIA. This integrated development is expected to attract logistics firms, manufacturers, traders, and business service providers, transforming the area into a major economic hub.
Background: Adani Deal Fallout
The new expansion strategy comes months after the collapse of a proposed deal with the Adani Group reportedly valued at over Ksh.200 billion. The agreement had sparked public debate before being cancelled. The opening of the tender process now marks the beginning of what is set to become one of Kenya’s most closely monitored infrastructure projects.
