Kenyan court orders disclosure of JKIA upgrade contract — Nation Kenya
Kenya’s High Court has ordered the government to submit within 21 days the contract and tender award notice for the upgrade of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), valued at 154.2 billion Kenyan shillings. At the same time, Justice Gregory Mutai declined at this stage to halt the implementation of the project, Nation Kenya reports.
Lawsuit against the airport upgrade
The lawsuit was filed by the Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek), which demanded the disclosure of information about the reconstruction and the suspension of the planned construction. The organization questioned the transparency and legality of the project, including disclosure of information on the ultimate beneficiaries of contractors, the consortium structure, financing terms, state obligations, and the procurement procedure.
The court found that the case raises issues concerning beneficial ownership, long-term public financial obligations, and public land, which require consideration on the merits. However, it found insufficient grounds to halt the project pending such consideration.
The judge also rejected the state’s request to dismiss the case and ordered government bodies to preserve all materials related to the project. These include approvals, agreements, decisions, correspondence, financial documents, project implementation documents, and land-use data.
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Plans to increase capacity
Kenya’s Ministry of Roads and Transport announced on June 23 that it had signed a design-and-build contract with China Road and Bridge Corporation. According to the ministry, a master plan was completed in February 2026 before procurement, and more than 40 companies took part in an April pre-tender conference.
The project provides for repairs to the airport’s existing infrastructure, including runways and aprons, as well as the construction of a new passenger terminal. Following the upgrade, JKIA’s annual capacity is expected to increase from 7.5 million to 22 million passengers.
The lawsuit also cited media reports about possible links between the late Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo and IMC Construction Kenya Ltd. The court noted that these claims were based on media publications and that the claimant had provided no evidence linking Chivayo to the JKIA project.
