Ruto sets 18-month deadline for completion of new Nairobi airport

President William Ruto has set a new 18-month target the complete Nairobi’s new airport, saying construction is already underway after the government decided to abandon the controversial partnership with India's Adani Group.

The President said the government had put the project back on track after difficulties surrounding the earlier proposal, insisting that the airport expansion was now moving forward under a different arrangement.

“Already, the airport in Nairobi is under construction. Remember, there was a small challenge with the noise around Adani and others, but we've since reorganised, and now the airport is under construction. In another 18 months, you will have a new airport,” he said.

Ruto made the remarks on November 4, 2026, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), where he officially opened the five-day 2026 Industrialisation Summit.

He also responded to questions about the pace of implementation, saying the criticism of the project had changed over time. According to the President, initial doubts centred on whether the government could deliver the airport, before shifting to claims that the promised timelines were unrealistic.

“When I say 18 months, we will have a debate. We have a very interesting debate nowadays in Kenya. Some people said that it was not possible to be done. Then they changed and said this gentleman overpromised, and then they said nothing was happening,” Ruto said.

He maintained that the current concerns were mainly about whether construction was slightly behind schedule, rather than whether the project would be completed.

“That’s a good debate. There is no problem. So it was not a lie. It was not overpromised. It was not that nothing was happening. It’s just that it has not happened, or it is one month late. That we can deal with,” he said.

The airport redevelopment is now being undertaken by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), which entered into a Sh154.2 billion contract with the government in June.

The project covers the construction of a new passenger terminal, refurbishment and modernisation of existing airport facilities, and improvements to infrastructure on both the airside and landside.

Dar Al-Handasah Consultants, an engineering firm founded in Lebanon, has been selected to supervise the technical work and oversee the project's implementation.

The new arrangement follows the government's scrapping of an earlier expansion proposal involving Adani Group, which sparked widespread debate over the future ownership and management of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

In 2024, Adani submitted a proposal estimated at Sh230 billion seeking to expand and modernise JKIA through a 30-year concession.

The proposed investment included the construction of a second runway and an upgraded passenger terminal. Under the arrangement, Adani was also expected to operate the airport during the concession period.

However, aviation workers resisted the plan, fearing the deal could affect jobs and employment conditions. The Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission also took the matter to court to challenge the proposed agreement.

In September 2024, the High Court issued temporary orders stopping the process as the legal dispute over the arrangement continued.

Ruto eventually announced the cancellation of the airport proposal on November 21, 2024, together with a separate power transmission agreement involving Adani.

The President said the decision followed information received from investigative agencies and partner countries.

The cancellation came after US prosecutors indicted Adani Group founder Gautam Adani and other executives over alleged bribery involving Indian officials. Adani denied the allegations.