The government has hinted at plans to construct a new airport in Kenya to replace the ageing Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, while speaking at the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Symposium in Nairobi on Monday, announced that the decision was taken to address the infrastructural challenges Kenya has grappled with to boost its position as a major player in the aviation sector.
"You do appreciate that we do not have an airport; our airport was burnt at some time around 2013/2014. Our attempts to build a new airport have met challenges due to the democratic space we are in," Chirchir said.
Adding, "We are in the process of building a new one (airport) so that we really become an anchor state that attracts people, so that you have that good feeling of coming in through the airport.''
Chirchir stated that the government will leverage Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to drive infrastructure upgrades, despite past setbacks such as the cancellation of the Adani deal for JKIA’s upgrade in November last year.
Treasury CS John Mbadi, while speaking at the same event, said that the government has set its eyes on completing all the new project timelines, including its implementation, to be concluded before 2027.
President William Ruto, in November, directed CS Chirchir and his Energy counterpart Opiyo Wandayi to end the then ongoing public-private partnership discussion with Adani Group Holdings.
On November 21, during his State of the Nation address in Parliament, the Head of State stated that his directive was motivated by the availability of undisputed evidence or credible information on graft.
Meanwhile, the indications on the upgrade have been touted in the past, including a recent one where the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) called for public input for the upcoming future development plan of the Wilson Airport and JKIA.
In a notice on July 20, the authority said that it would conduct a Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA), which will assess the environmental and social impacts that the development, which it did not specify, of the two airports might attract.
Additionally, the announcement comes days after the government revealed that it is in the process of improving JKIA's infrastructure, including runways, airside access roads, and the baggage handling system.
Separately, among the development institutions potentially involved in funding JKIA’s expansion plans are the European Investment Bank, the German Development Bank, the French Development Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, and the China Exim Bank.
President Ruto’s administration has since contacted the above-mentioned institutions and is awaiting feedback on how to fund the redevelopment of the main airport using the airport’s balance sheet.
