Construction of the Ksh154.2 billion Jomo Kenyatta International Airport modernisation project is under way, but MPs now want to know why the tender was handled by the Ministry of Roads and Transport rather than the Kenya Airports Authority.
The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure raised that question on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, during an inspection of the site. Committee chairman George Kariuki, the MP for Ndia, led the visit. Principal Secretary for Aviation and Aerospace Development Teresiah Mbaika and Kenya Airports Authority Managing Director Moses Wekesa attended.
More than 100 machines were carrying out excavation and construction work at the time of the inspection, the committee observed.
The upgrade is being undertaken by China Road and Bridge Corporation, which also built the Standard Gauge Railway and the Nairobi Expressway. The design-and-build contract was signed on June 23, 2026. Mbaika signed for the government, while CRBC General Manager Yu Xiaodong represented the contractor.
Procurement has drawn scrutiny. The Ministry of Roads and Transport issued the tender on March 3, 2026, after the JKIA Integrated Master Plan was completed in February. A pre-bid conference in April attracted interest from more than 40 companies. The committee now wants to understand why the process sat with the ministry instead of the airports authority.
MP John Kiragu of Limuru cautioned that foreign contractors may register local companies to secure work on the project.
The case for expansion rests on capacity. JKIA handled about 8.93 million passengers in 2025, above its designed annual capacity of 7.5 million, according to a Ministry of Roads and Transport brief. PS Mbaika put current traffic at more than 10 million passengers annually. The two figures differ.
The ministry projects passenger numbers will reach about 22.31 million a year by 2045. Under the current plan, the existing terminal is expected to handle 12 million passengers annually, while a new terminal would add capacity for 10 million, bringing the projected total to roughly 22 million a year.
The construction period is 18 months, with overall completion expected within 36 months, putting the finish around mid-2029.
The project has been contested. The Adani Group of India had earlier proposed a modernisation arrangement, but President William Ruto announced in November 2024 that the deal was cancelled.
In June 2026, the Consumer Federation of Kenya moved to court over the procurement process, financing, beneficial ownership and long-term financial obligations. On October 15, 2026, Justice Gregory Mutai declined to suspend the project. He ordered the State Department for Aviation and Aerospace Development to file the works contract and notification of award in court within 21 days.
Justice Mutai noted that the petition raised issues around beneficial ownership disclosure, public finance obligations and public land, but found insufficient grounds to stop the project. He also said allegations linking an individual, based on media reports, had not been exhibited as evidence. The petition is to be heard on a priority basis, with the substantive questions left for the full hearing.
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