Kenya is moving forward with a major overhaul of its busiest airport, as authorities launch a tender for projects aimed at easing congestion and modernising Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to meet rising demand.
Officials say the expansion is necessary to handle the growing number of passengers and cargo while improving service quality and strengthening Kenya’s position as East Africa’s aviation hub.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir reaffirmed that the initiative will be conducted with full transparency and accountability.
“The government, through the Ministry of Transport and the Kenya Airports Authority, is committed to transparent implementation of the project and will continue to keep stakeholders and the public informed as the project progresses,” he said, highlighting the government’s focus on openness.
The tender, announced on March 3, 2026, by the Kenya Airports Authority, covers the construction of a new passenger terminal and improvements to existing facilities.
JKIA, Kenya’s main international gateway and a regional aviation hub, has increasingly struggled with congestion due to passenger and cargo traffic surpassing its intended limits.
In 2025, JKIA handled 8.93 million passengers, above its designed capacity of 7.5 million. With a single runway and terminals that have been expanded in phases, the airport has faced congestion on runways, aprons, and access roads, particularly during peak travel times.
A recent Integrated Master Plan and Feasibility Study recommended a phased development approach to meet both short-term pressures and long-term growth.
Passenger numbers are projected to rise to 22.31 million by 2045, while cargo volumes are expected to more than double, from 407,214 tonnes to 860,400 tonnes over the same period.
Immediate plans include upgrading the existing runway, constructing a partial parallel taxiway, adding rapid exit taxiways to reduce runway occupancy, and reconfiguring terminals to improve passenger flow.
Enhancements will also modernise check-in counters, security screening, immigration processing, and baggage handling, while optimising parking and internal road circulation.
Long-term measures will see the development of a new terminal with capacity for 10 million additional passengers annually. The project will also expand taxiways, aprons, firefighting and air traffic control facilities, cargo handling, maintenance, and fuel services, positioning JKIA for decades of growth.
Officials have further proposed an Airport City and Special Economic Zone, designed to turn JKIA into a multi-sector economic hub. The zone is expected to attract logistics companies, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and e-commerce operations, leveraging JKIA’s status as Kenya’s primary cargo gateway.
The expansion is viewed as essential to maintaining JKIA’s competitiveness, improving passenger experience, and supporting Kenya’s Vision 2030 goal of making the country a leading aviation and trade centre in East Africa.
