CS Chirchir Denies Zimbabwean Businessman Link to JKIA Upgrade Contract

Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has publicly denied that any company linked to Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo holds a role in the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) upgrade, saying the firm did not participate as a bidder in the process.

Speaking at a press briefing at Transcom House, Chirchir said the procurement was undertaken through an open international competitive bidding process, providing equal opportunity to all qualified local and international firms.

The bidding process closed on May 14, 2026, and bids were opened in accordance with the Public Procurement and Assets Disposal Act (PPADA). The CS said every stage of the procurement had been conducted fairly and transparently.

The denials come amid intense public scrutiny over a reported Sh150 billion to Sh180 billion contract. Sources within agencies involved in the upgrade told Nation Africa the contract was awarded to a Chinese firm this month, with signing anticipated shortly.

Sources named China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) as the leading bidder, with Sinohydro also having participated. The contract is understood to have been tendered on March 3, 2026, the same day KAA formally cancelled the previously shelved Adani Group proposal.

The controversy centres on claims that IMC Construction Kenya Limited, a firm civil society groups say is wholly owned by Chivayo, is part of a joint venture consortium alongside CRBC's parent, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).

The Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) said it had instructed lawyers to file a constitutional petition challenging the award, citing Chivayo's undisclosed involvement. It had previously petitioned the High Court to bar him from Kenya entirely over a fraud and money laundering record in Zimbabwe.

Transparency International Kenya demanded the government publish full details of the bidding process, contract terms, and beneficial ownership of the winning firm. It also called on parliament to provide oversight.

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah said parliament had been kept in the dark on the deal and warned that legal and political action would follow. He described the process as being carried out in contemptuous disregard of the constitution.

The JKIA upgrade targets growing the airport's capacity from roughly 8.9 million passengers annually to 22.3 million by 2045, while more than doubling cargo capacity to 860,400 tonnes. Groundbreaking had been projected for June 2026.

KAA and the Ministry of Roads and Transport had not issued any public statement clarifying the procurement outcome as of June 18, despite KAA having led public communications on the project since early in the year.