Opposition leader Raila Odinga has expressed deep frustration over the continued stalling of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) expansion projects, warning that Kenya risks losing its competitive edge as a regional aviation hub due to persistent political interference.
Speaking during an infrastructure forum in Nairobi, Raila recalled that significant progress had been made toward upgrading JKIA during the Grand Coalition Government, where he served as Prime Minister alongside then-President Mwai Kibaki.
In 2012, the duo had endorsed the ambitious Greenfield Terminal project, a Sh56 billion venture aimed at transforming JKIA into a world-class facility capable of handling 20 million passengers annually.
“Before Kibaki and I left office, we had forwarded the Greenfield contract for implementation. But shortly after we left, it was abruptly cancelled,” Raila said.
“Later, we brought in Adani Group, an international firm, to take over the upgrade. But again, politics crept in and the contract was cancelled.”
The Greenfield Terminal project was awarded to a Chinese consortium and was Kenya’s most ambitious airport expansion at the time. However, it was abruptly terminated in 2016 under controversial circumstances, with the government citing cost concerns and prioritization of other projects.
The cancellation led to costly litigation, with contractors demanding compensation in the billions. Critics also claimed the cancellation was influenced by internal power struggles and lack of political will.
Years later, the government invited India’s Adani Group, one of the world’s largest infrastructure conglomerates, to invest in the airport’s modernization. But the deal was short-lived.
Amid a storm of opposition from local political actors and civil society groups concerned about transparency, sovereignty, and Adani’s global controversies, the project was shelved before it could begin.
“Every time we try to move forward, politics drags us back. These repeated cancellations not only waste public resources but send the wrong signal to investors,” Raila said.
He warned that the constant delays in expanding JKIA could soon see Kenya overtaken by regional competitors like Ethiopia and Rwanda, both of which have invested heavily in their aviation infrastructure in recent years.
“We are stagnant, and stagnation is the beginning of decline. If we don’t act quickly, we will no longer be the preferred gateway into East and Central Africa,” Raila cautioned.
JKIA, which currently handles around 7.5 million passengers annually, has long struggled with congestion, ageing infrastructure, and operational inefficiencies.
Aviation experts have repeatedly called for an urgent overhaul to keep pace with rising passenger and cargo demands.
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