Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has dismissed reports that the planned expansion of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) will cost Ksh375 billion.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Appearing before the Senate plenary on Wednesday, June 17, Mbadi told lawmakers that the cost of the project currently stands at Ksh155 billion, less than half the amount being reported by a section of Kenyans.

“Senator Onyonka, I know it has been reported that JKIA is going to cost about 2.9 billion dollars. The figure that I know is half of that, it is 1.2 billion dollars,” Mbadi said.

The CS urged lawmakers and the public to be cautious about figures circulating in the media, arguing that some reports have misrepresented the project's scale.

📌 What You Need to Know

“You do not rely on figures that are flying around, especially from some print media, some specific newspapers,” the CS added.

During the grilling session, Mbadi also assured the legislators that the JKIA expansion project would not in any way increase the country's debt levels.

According to the CS, the airport upgrade is among projects being considered under the proposed National Infrastructure Fund, a financing model intended for major development projects.

Mbadi's clarification follows reports that the JKIA expansion deal would cost Ksh375 billion and that China Communications Construction Company had secured a major stake in the tender.

However, the government is yet to release comprehensive details on the financing structure, procurement process, and final project cost for the planned modernisation of the country's main airport.

Reports indicate that the expansion of JKIA will follow a 20-year master plan running through 2045 , which provides for phased infrastructure development, capital expenditure planning, and financial feasibility projections.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke