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Kenya has awarded a USD 2.9 billion contract to China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) to expand and modernise Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
The agreement marks a renewed push towards large-scale Chinese-backed infrastructure development in the East African nation.
The contract is approximately 50 per cent larger than the airport concession proposal previously submitted by India’s Adani Group.
That proposal, valued at nearly USD 2 billion, was cancelled by President William Ruto’s administration in November 2024 following political opposition, legal disputes and heightened public scrutiny.
Kenya had engaged with the Adani Group for several months before terminating the arrangement.
The government withdrew the proposal amid mounting pressure linked to allegations raised by the US Department of Justice against the conglomerate.
The Adani Group denied the allegations.
Sources noted that the US Department of Justice later closed the matter, citing insufficient conclusive evidence.
The latest agreement advances Kenya’s long-pending plan to upgrade its busiest airport, which currently operates beyond its intended capacity.
The JKIA modernisation project forms part of a long-term master plan extending to 2045.
The programme includes improvements to runways, passenger terminals, aircraft parking facilities, access roads and supporting infrastructure.
According to the Kenyan government, JKIA handled nearly nine million passengers in 2025, significantly exceeding its designed annual capacity of around 7.5 million travellers.
The proposed Adani deal had sparked intense political debate in Kenya, with critics questioning concession terms and transparency.
The issue also attracted attention in India, where opposition leaders used it to target both the government and the conglomerate.
Following the cancellation, Kenya adopted a fresh procurement process supported by government-backed financing.
President William Ruto has consistently identified JKIA’s modernisation as a strategic infrastructure priority.
The award further strengthens China’s presence in Kenya’s infrastructure sector.
CCCC and its affiliated firms have previously delivered major projects, including the Nairobi Expressway and the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway.
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