Kenya has officially abandoned the strategy of patchwork repairs for its primary aviation gateway, with the government announcing a bold plan to construct an entirely new airport to replace the aging Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The declaration, made Tuesday by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, signals a dramatic pivot in the state’s infrastructure strategy following the collapse of the contentious Adani Group takeover bid late last year. The new vision is not just for an upgrade, but for a complete overhaul aimed at positioning Nairobi as a global aviation rival to Dubai and Addis Ababa.

The '100 Million' Moonshot

Speaking in Nairobi, DP Kindiki outlined an ambitious roadmap to scale JKIA’s capacity from its current struggling throughput of approximately 8.8 million passengers annually to a staggering target of 100 million. This moonshot goal would place Kenya in the league of the world’s busiest hubs, such as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta and Dubai International.

“We are building a new airport at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport; the one we have is old,” Kindiki asserted, emphasizing that the current infrastructure is no longer aligned with Kenya’s Vision 2030 aspirations.

While government communications initially cited a leap from a "current 88 million" to 100 million, aviation data confirms JKIA currently handles under 9 million passengers a year. The discrepancy likely stems from a comparison with global competitors the state hopes to emulate. Regardless of the baseline, the target represents a more than ten-fold increase in capacity—a scale of expansion that will require massive capital investment.

The Ghost of the Adani Deal

The announcement comes months after the government was forced to cancel a privately initiated proposal (PIP) by India’s Adani Airport Holdings. That deal, valued at roughly $1.85 billion (approx. KES 240 billion), would have seen the conglomerate run JKIA for 30 years in exchange for building a new terminal and second runway.

The Adani proposal crumbled under the weight of public outcry, lawsuits from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and strikes by aviation workers fearing job losses. Critics argued the deal was opaque and undervalued a strategic national asset.

Now, the government insists it will pursue a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model that avoids the pitfalls of the previous attempt. “The decision to proceed with the PPP model is a strategy to break chains like debt burden, allowing the government to work smarter,” President William Ruto stated recently, reinforcing the administration's stance on minimizing direct borrowing.

What This Means for the Kenyan Traveler

For the ordinary Kenyan, the stakes are high. A world-class hub could lower freight costs for fresh produce exporters—a sector contributing billions to the economy—and boost tourism jobs. However, the financing model remains a point of concern.

• Cost Implications: Infrastructure levies or increased airport taxes are often the first recourse in PPP arrangements to ensure investor returns.
• Timeline: While the government eyes completion before 2030, industry experts warn that projects of this magnitude typically take a decade to operationalize.
• Competition: Regional rivals are not sleeping. Ethiopia’s Bole International Airport already serves over 22 million passengers, and Rwanda is fast-tracking its Bugesera International Airport.

As the dust settles on the announcement, the focus now shifts to the details: Who will build this mega-hub, and at what cost to the taxpayer? For now, the government is selling a dream of the future, but Kenyans will be watching closely to ensure the price tag doesn't mortgage it.