'We don't know him:' Government denies links to Wicknell Chivayo in JKIA deal

Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has disputed claims that the planned upgrade of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will cost taxpayers Sh375 billion, saying the contract will not exceed Sh154.2 billion.

Chirchir on Thursday, June 18, said the contract, which is yet to be signed, will be implemented by the Kenya Airports Authority. He cautioned, however, that the final cost could shift depending on the exchange rate.

The clarification comes amid reports that the contract had already been awarded to China Roads and Bridges Corporation and controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, and was awaiting signature.

Chirchir has denied that Chivayo has any involvement.

“We wish to clarify that the company that has been refereed to did not participate in this project as a bidder and has no role, involvement or association whatsoever in this project,” he said.

“They are not part of the contractors who submitted the bid for this tender.”

Chirchir said all parties that participated in the bidding were required to submit documents detailing the composition of their joint ventures, and none listed Chivayo as a party.

The CS defended the project, saying JKIA was built decades ago and is in poor condition. He added that an upgrade masterplan was developed between February 2025 and February 2026, involving several ministries. The plan was presented to KAA staff and the union representing airport workers in February 2026, and tabled before a National Assembly committee in March.

The project has faced opposition from the public, with civil society groups threatening legal action to compel the government to disclose the full details of the contract. Procurement is being handled by the Ministry of Transport. Earlier reports had indicated the Sh375 billion contract would be split between CCCC and a Chivayo-linked company, identified as IMC Construction.

The JKIA upgrade has been one of President William Ruto's signature infrastructure projects, pursued despite criticism over the lack of transparency surrounding the deal.

It comes just over a year after the collapse of the Adani deal, a proposed 30-year public-private partnership valued at over Sh250 billion, which Ruto cancelled in November 2024 following street protests led by the Gen Z movement over the high cost of living.