LSK demands transparency on Ksh375B JKIA expansion contract
By Faith Lagat, June 12, 2026Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has called for full public disclosure and rigorous scrutiny of the Ksh375.4 billion contract awarded to China Communications Construction Company for the expansion and modernisation of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Kenya’s premier aviation gateway.
In a statement issued on June 12, 2026, LSK President Charles Kanjama described the project as a “massive infrastructure undertaking that must be subjected to the highest standards of transparency and value for money.”
While acknowledging the need to modernize JKIA to drive economic growth, Kanjama raised concerns over the proposed funding model relying heavily on commercial loans backed by the Air Passenger Service Levy.
“This levy must not become a hidden financial tool that inflates the cost of flying without delivering clear benefits to ordinary citizens,” Kanjama warned.
Funding model and legal compliance concerns
The Law Society of Kenya demands compliance with the Constitution and public procurement laws, including independent verification of value for money amid Kenya’s debt sustainability challenges.
It further insists on guaranteed local content participation for Kenyan firms and vows to monitor developments closely, ready to initiate legal action if constitutional violations under Article 201 on public finance principles emerge.
The contract, awarded through the National Infrastructure Fund, paves the way for one of Kenya’s most ambitious aviation projects. Construction is expected to begin this month, yet the government has not made a formal public announcement of the deal.
The project aligns with JKIA 20-year master plan extending to 2045 and will be executed in two phases.
Phased expansion plan and funding outlook
The first phase will upgrade existing infrastructure including taxiways, passenger processing areas, access roads, and digital systems, aiming to raise annual passenger capacity to 12 million within 18 months.
The second phase involves constructing a new 4,500-metre parallel runway and a 230,000-square-metre X-shaped passenger terminal designed to handle an additional 10 million passengers annually and improve operational efficiency.
The award follows months after President William Ruto announced that works would start in June 2026 following seed capital injection into the National Infrastructure Fund from the privatization of Kenya Pipeline Company.
Questions remain about bridging the funding gap and the exact structure of the commercial loans.
This development marks a return to large-scale Chinese involvement in Kenyan infrastructure after the 2024 collapse of a planned concession deal with India’s Adani Group.
Chinese state-owned firms have previously delivered landmark projects including the Standard Gauge Railway, Nairobi Expressway, and the ongoing Rironi-Mau Summit highway.
Kanjama’s intervention underscores anxiety over debt-financed mega-projects as Kenya seeks to enhance aviation hub’s competitiveness, stakeholders insisting that transparency, accountability, and equitable benefits for citizens remain paramount.