KAA confirms receiving proposal from Adani Group for JKIA upgrade

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). [File, Standard]

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has acknowledged receiving an investment proposal from Adani Airport Holdings Limited meant to upgrade the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

KAA's confirmation follows demands for transparency from several organisations, including the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), regarding the links between JKIA and the Indian-based company.

The proposal, which KAA states will undergo due processes including technical, financial, and legal reviews, includes plans for a building a new terminal, a second runway and the refurbishment of existing facilities at JKIA.

"JKIA's aging infrastructure is a threat to our regional competitiveness. The Cabinet approved the JKIA Medium Term Investment Plan, covering the upgrade of the passenger terminal building, runway, taxiway, and apron," said KAA's Acting Managing Director Henry Ogoye on Wednesday.

Ogoye added, "The investment requirement is significant and cannot be funded under the prevailing fiscal constraints without private funding."

He also assured all staff that their jobs would not be at risk. "I also wish to assure the airport business community and operators that the expanded facility will create additional business opportunities and benefits."

KAA's statement came a day after Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi informed Members of Parliament (MPs) that such a project requires Parliamentary approval.

"The airport is not for sale. This is a public asset, a strategic asset. If it were to be sold, it could only happen after a full public process that parliament endorses," Mudavadi told MPs.