Wicknell Chivayo Wins JKIA Airport Expansion Stake in $2.9B Kenya Deal
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Controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, who maintains close ties to Kenyan President William Ruto, has secured a stake in the $2.9 billion expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. This development has raised concerns over government procurement transparency, two years after a previously proposed 30-year concession deal with billionaire Gautam Adani's company was cancelled amid corruption investigations.
Chivayo's IMC Construction Kenya has joined a consortium led by China Communications Construction Company, a Chinese state-owned engineering giant, alongside its subsidiary China Road and Bridge Corporation. The group was awarded the contract following a competitive bidding process after the Adani deal was terminated earlier in 2026, according to reporting by ZimLive.
The airport project will feature a new passenger terminal and a second runway, aiming to significantly increase capacity and efficiency by 2029. The project involves constructing a new passenger terminal and an additional runway at Kenya's busiest airport, which currently handles about 8.8 million passengers annually, exceeding its design capacity.
The new runway, expected to be completed by 2029, will significantly boost capacity from 14 to 63 aircraft movements per hour. Sources said construction on the airport upgrade is expected to begin this month, marking a major infrastructure milestone for East Africa's largest airport and aviation hub.
Funding will partly come from proceeds of privatisation channelled through Kenya's newly established National Infrastructure Fund, with additional financing secured through commercial loans backed by future air passenger service charges. However, the award has drawn public scrutiny, not over technical execution, but over Chivayo's proximity to the Kenyan presidency, as he has made multiple visits to the State House and publicly described President Ruto as a mentor.
Chivayo's companies have also secured major contracts across the region, including a $2.5 billion energy deal in Kenya and Tanzania, while facing longstanding allegations of irregular procurement in Zimbabwe, which his lawyers deny. His multiple meetings at Sagana State Lodge and Wajir State Lodge during discussions on multimillion-dollar investments have further intensified questions about the transparency of government procurement processes.
