Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Davis Chirchir has outlined detailed timelines for the phased modernisation of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), indicating that the project will be completed in three years.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

In a status report released on June 18 and reviewed by this publication, the CS broke down the upgrade into three main components, including improvement of the existing airfield, renovation of existing terminals and development of a new terminal building.

“These deliverables transformed the project from a long-term vision into an implementable programme and provided the Government with a clear, technically robust basis for undertaking the current procurement,” the CS wrote.

Rehabilitation of the existing airfield is expected to take about 15 months of construction, followed by a 24-month defects notification period, with works aimed at improving runway and airside infrastructure to enhance operational safety and efficiency.

📌 What You Need to Know

Construction works to improve and renovate existing passenger terminals to raise JKIA’s capacity from the current 7.5 million passengers per year to 12 million to support demand up to 2029 have been planned over 18 months and a subsequent 24-month defects period.

The third and largest component involves the development of a new 10-million-passenger terminal and associated support facilities, with construction expected to take approximately 36 months, followed by a 24-month defects notification period.

The new terminal, which will cater for both domestic and international traffic, is designed to integrate with existing and future airport infrastructure, including taxiways, aprons, and access systems.

Once completed, the combined expansion programme is expected to increase JKIA’s total capacity to about 22 million passengers annually, forming part of the government’s broader strategy to position the airport as a regional aviation hub.

Recently, President William Ruto announced that the upgrades will begin in July , which sets the prospective completion date for 2029.

According to Chirchir, the government does not expect the project contract award to exceed Ksh154.2 billion and has onboarded Trade Development Bank and the African Finance Cooperation as lead arrangers to structure the financing for the project.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke