President William Ruto’s administration has revealed a grand plan to build a new airport to ease congestion at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen said the new international airport will be adjacent to JKIA and will be a flagship project of President Ruto.
“I am very clear in my mind and very focused that in the next three years we need to deliver a brand new airport that will be a signature project for this administration,” Murkomen said.
The CS made the revelation when he appeared before the Senate to respond to plans to fix problems at JKIA among other issues.
“We can’t have an airport that is older than myself, built in 1978. I want to be a partaker of President William Ruto’s grand plan to give us something new and fresh,” he said.
JKIA, the biggest and busiest airport in the country, has faced myriads of challenges with the latest revelations of a leaking roof going viral.
On Wednesday, the Star established that the ministry is already carrying out feasibility studies that will confirm the actual cost of constructing the new airport.
“I am very clear in my mind that by the year 2026-2027 we should be singing of a new airport,” Murkomen said.
The project will likely gobble billions of shillings.
It is estimated the construction of an international airport with basic components – runway, hangar, parking lot, terminal building and taxiway – could cost about Sh15 billion.
This comes at the time the government faces an acute cash crunch in the wake of a ballooning public debt and high cost of living.
Senate Deputy Minority leader Enoch Wambua criticised the planned project, terming it a misplaced priority at a time many Kenyans cannot afford a meal.
“This government needs to put its act together. How can you think of an airport when the economy is in tatters? They cannot fix a leaking roof at an existing airport. Their timing is completely wrong,” Wambua said.
On Tuesday, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua warned of economic shutdown due to the huge public debt.
“We were facing potential economic shutdown. The truth must be said…[there was] huge public debt [of] Sh9.6 trillion…Sh900 billion in pending bills…Eurobond of USD 2 billion accruing interest at between 12 per cent to almost 16 per cent...those debts must be paid by the people of Kenya,” he said.
Ruto’s predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta had several signature projects – mainly infrastructure – that cost the taxpayer billions of shillings.
Uhuru’s mega projects include the Standard Gauge Railway that cost in excess of Sh400 billion, Nairobi Expressway that was constructed at a cost of Sh88 billion and the construction of terminals 1 and 2 at JKIA.
The late President Mwai Kibaki is remembered for the Sh32 billion Thika Superhighway that opened up the Mt Kenya region.
Murkomen told the senators that the government was also set to construct a brand new terminal at JKIA.
He said the new terminal is part of the Public Private Partnership that is aimed at having a fully operational airport to ease congestion at JKIA.
“We are in the process of working to have a new terminal. We hope we can get a relevant contractor so that in the next three years we can have a new terminal,” Murkomen said.
The former Elgeyo Marakwet senator explained that the government had to first sort out a stalemate between Kenya Airports Authority and a Chinese company.
Murkomen explained that the Chinese company had been awarded the tender to construct a new terminal back in 2015 but it never came to pass.
"I report here today that we have resolved the issue and cleared all claims of Sh25 billion. Now we are free to advertise for a new PPP for a contractor to build a terminal," he said.
Murkomen responded after Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna raised concerns about passengers being dropped off at a considerable distance from the airport terminal especially during rainy days.
“I want the Cabinet Secretary to explain the rationale of dropping passengers away from the entrance of the terminals. We are seeing what is happening at other international airports. Why can’t we drop passengers at the entrance of the terminals?” Sifuna posed.
Murkomen said that the airport dropping areas are determined by security plans within the airport, hence at times passengers may be subjected to long walks.
"I’ve just landed at the airport with the President and just like any other passenger, we were dropped far from the terminal and we had to walk through the rain. Nothing just changes because of the rains but plans are already in place for a new terminal," he said.
JKIA is Kenya’s main airport and one of the busiest airports in Africa.
It is home to the national flag carrier Kenya Airways and others including Jambojet, as well as Fly540 and African Express Airways.
Construction of the terminal building at JKIA started on March 14, 1978, and was completed on the other side of the airport's single runway and opened by President Jomo Kenyatta.
Following his death on August 22, 1978, the airport, formerly known as Nairobi International Airport, was renamed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
There are two main terminals at JKIA.
Terminal 1 is arranged in a semi-circular orientation and is divided into four parts: 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D and 1E
Terminal 1A is used for international arrivals and departures by Kenya Airways and Sky Partners.
Terminals 1B and 1C are also used for international departures.
Terminal 1D is used for domestic arrivals and departures while 1E is for international arrivals.
Terminal 2 is used by low-cost carriers.
The original terminal, located on the north side of the runway, is used by the Kenya Air Force and is sometimes referred to as Old Embakasi Airport.
In January 2021, Kenya Airports Authority began renovating JKIA terminals 1B and C.
China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation undertook the works at a cost of Sh963 million.
The JKIA upgrade project involved the refurbishment of the airport’s departure halls to improve check-in, screening procedures, retail operations, and traveler lounge experience.