Chinese Firm Reportedly Lands Sh375 Billion JKIA Upgrade Contract

A report attributed to Bloomberg has sparked fresh discussion about the future of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), with claims that Kenya has awarded a Chinese contractor a $2.9 billion (Sh375 billion) deal to modernize the country's busiest airport.

The claim was shared by Money Academy Kenya on X, which said the reported award comes nearly two years after the government abandoned the proposed Adani-led concession for JKIA.

Official confirmation still pending.

The development nonetheless raises an important question: which Chinese contractor may have secured one of the largest infrastructure contracts currently under discussion in Kenya?

The timing aligns with the government's ongoing push to revive JKIA expansion plans following the collapse of the Adani proposal. Earlier this year, officials confirmed that a fresh procurement process had been launched after completion of an Integrated Master Plan for the airport.

The planned works are expected to address growing passenger demand at JKIA while improving operational capacity and supporting Nairobi's position as East Africa's leading aviation hub.

Among the firms likely to attract attention is China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), a contractor that has delivered some of Kenya's largest transport projects over the last decade.

CRBC served as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the Standard Gauge Railway linking Mombasa and Naivasha. The company is also building the Nairobi Intelligent Transport System and Junction Improvement Project, which includes the Haile Selassie Avenue underpass, the Kenyatta Avenue viaduct and upgrades at several key intersections across the capital.

CRBC is also part of the consortium selected to develop the 175-kilometre Rironi-Mau Summit Highway alongside China's Shandong Hi-Speed Road and Bridge International. The dual carriageway project is among the largest road investments currently planned in Kenya and forms part of the Northern Corridor connecting Nairobi to western Kenya and neighbouring countries.

The contractor was among companies that expressed interest in the JKIA modernization programme after the government reopened the procurement process following the cancellation of the Adani proposal.

CRBC's parent company, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), is one of the world's largest infrastructure groups, with experience in highways, railways, ports and airport developments across multiple regions.

Another company that has previously been linked to discussions around JKIA is Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG). The airport specialist held discussions with senior Kenyan government officials in 2025 as the search for alternative partners gathered pace following the Adani fallout.

For now, the Bloomberg-linked report has placed renewed focus on a project that remains one of Kenya's most closely watched infrastructure programmes. If details emerge on the identity of the contractor, financing arrangements and project scope, they will offer the clearest indication yet of how the government intends to reshape JKIA after the collapse of the previous deal.