BTA Admin Controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo has secured a stake in the $2.9 billion expansion of Kenya’s main international airport, placing the politically connected entrepreneur at the centre of one of East Africa’s largest infrastructure projects.
The development comes less than two years after Kenya cancelled a proposed long-term airport concession involving Indian billionaire Gautam Adani’s group amid mounting political pressure and corruption scrutiny.
Chivayo joins consortium behind airport upgrade
Chivayo’s company, IMC Construction Kenya, is part of a consortium led by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and its subsidiary China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), according to regional media reports.
The consortium was awarded the contract for the expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) following a competitive procurement process after the collapse of the earlier Adani-linked proposal.
The project will involve the construction of a new passenger terminal and a second runway at Kenya’s busiest airport, which currently handles about 8.8 million passengers annually — already above its original design capacity.
Once completed, the expansion is expected to significantly increase operational capacity and improve efficiency at one of Africa’s key aviation hubs.
Kenya targets major airport expansion by 2029
The additional runway is expected to raise aircraft movement capacity from about 14 to 63 flights per hour by 2029, positioning Nairobi as a more competitive regional transit hub for passenger and cargo traffic.
Construction is reportedly expected to begin this month.
Funding for the project will partly come from Kenya’s newly established National Infrastructure Fund, which is expected to channel proceeds from privatisation initiatives into large-scale infrastructure development.
Additional financing will be secured through commercial borrowing backed by future airport passenger service charges.
The project forms part of Kenya’s wider push to modernise transport infrastructure as the government seeks to strengthen the country’s role as East Africa’s commercial and logistics gateway.
Political connections trigger scrutiny
Despite the scale of the infrastructure project, public attention has largely focused on Chivayo’s political connections rather than the construction itself.
The Zimbabwean businessman has maintained close ties with Kenyan President William Ruto and has publicly described the Kenyan leader as a mentor.
Regional reports indicate that Chivayo has made multiple visits to State House and held meetings with Ruto at official government residences, including Sagana State Lodge and Wajir State Lodge, where discussions reportedly involved multimillion-dollar investment opportunities.
The relationship has intensified scrutiny around procurement transparency, particularly given Chivayo’s controversial business history in Zimbabwe.
His companies have previously secured large public-sector contracts, including energy projects in Zimbabwe and other regional markets, while also facing longstanding allegations related to procurement irregularities — claims his legal representatives have consistently denied.
Airport project revives transparency debate
The JKIA expansion project is already emerging as a politically sensitive issue in Kenya because of the airport’s strategic importance and the controversy surrounding previous concession proposals.
Earlier plans involving Gautam Adani’s group triggered public backlash and political criticism before ultimately collapsing amid corruption investigations linked to Adani companies in other jurisdictions.
That history has made the latest procurement process especially sensitive, with critics calling for greater transparency around contract allocation, financing structures and project oversight.
Supporters of the project, however, argue that Kenya urgently needs to expand JKIA to accommodate rising passenger traffic and strengthen Nairobi’s competitiveness against rival regional aviation hubs such as Addis Ababa and Kigali.
China deepens role in African infrastructure
The involvement of China Communications Construction Company and China Road and Bridge Corporation also reflects China’s continuing dominance in African infrastructure financing and construction.
Chinese state-linked engineering firms remain heavily involved in major African transport projects ranging from railways and ports to highways and airports.
For Kenya, the airport expansion represents another major infrastructure gamble aimed at supporting long-term economic growth and regional trade integration.
For Chivayo, the deal significantly expands his presence beyond Zimbabwe and places him inside one of East Africa’s most strategically important infrastructure developments.
The project’s success — and the scrutiny surrounding it — is likely to keep both Kenya’s government and Chivayo firmly in the regional spotlight over the coming years.
