President William Ruto has announced that Kenya expects to have a brand-new airport within the next 18 months, saying construction is already underway following the reorganisation of the project after controversy surrounding the proposed involvement of India’s Adani Group.
Speaking during the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) Presidential Roundtable at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Ruto maintained that the airport project was progressing despite criticism and delays that have surrounded the government’s infrastructure ambitions.
“In the next 18 months, we will have a brand-new airport,” the President declared, insisting that the project had moved beyond the planning stage and was now under construction.
Ruto acknowledged that the project had encountered challenges following public controversy over the proposed Adani partnership, but said the government had reorganised its approach and proceeded with construction.
“Remember, there was a small challenge with noise around Adani and others, but we’ve since reorganised, and now the airport is under construction,” he told business leaders.
The President’s remarks signal renewed confidence in the government’s efforts to upgrade Kenya’s aviation infrastructure, particularly at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), the country’s principal international aviation gateway.
Ruto Responds to Criticism Over Airport Construction Timeline
Ruto also addressed criticism over the timelines he had previously given for the delivery of the airport, arguing that public debate had shifted as the project progressed.
He said critics had initially questioned whether the project was achievable before accusing him of overpromising and later claiming that no construction was taking place.
The President, however, said the criticism had since changed, with attention now shifting to whether the project would be completed within the initially communicated timeline.
“Some people said that it was not possible to be done. Then they changed and said this gentleman overpromised, and then they said nothing was happening. Now the debate has changed, saying, ‘Oh, it’s happening,’ but it was supposed to be last month, but it has delayed by a month or two months,” Ruto said.
He dismissed the criticism as part of the normal public debate surrounding major infrastructure projects, arguing that a delay of one or two months was manageable.
“It’s not that it has not happened. It’s just that it has not happened, or it is one month late. That we can deal with,” he added.
His remarks suggest the government is seeking to maintain confidence in the airport’s delivery schedule even as questions persist over the implementation timeline.
President Says JKIA Needs a Major Upgrade
The President defended the need for a new airport by pointing to the experience of international travellers arriving in Nairobi through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
According to Ruto, the condition of the existing facility does not reflect Kenya’s ambitions as a regional business, tourism and aviation hub.
“We will finish the airport because we don’t have an airport. You all agree. Those of you who travel, when you arrive at Jomo Kenyatta, you arrive to a tarmac, and the place isn’t very good,” he said.
He argued that the planned development would transform the country’s main aviation gateway and improve the experience of passengers arriving in Kenya.
“We will change that in the next 18 months. We will have a brand-new airport,” Ruto reiterated.
JKIA is a critical gateway for international travel, cargo transportation and regional connectivity, making its expansion and modernisation an important issue for Kenya’s economic competitiveness.
Airport Project Under Scrutiny
The airport announcement comes against the backdrop of controversy surrounding the proposed airport expansion arrangement involving Adani Group, which generated significant public debate and opposition.
The government subsequently moved to reorganise its approach to the project following the controversy.
Ruto’s latest remarks provide an indication of the administration’s intended delivery timeline, although questions remain over the project’s precise scope, financing arrangements, implementation milestones and the facilities expected to be ready within the 18-month period.
The President did not provide further technical details during the roundtable but insisted that construction was already underway.
If delivered within the stated timeframe, the project would mark a significant development in Kenya’s aviation infrastructure and strengthen Nairobi’s position as a regional transport and business hub.
For now, Ruto has put an 18-month timeline on the table, setting a fresh benchmark against which Kenyans, investors and the aviation industry will measure the government’s performance.
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