Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo informed MPs on Monday, December 2 that the government would continue to pursue a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) deal for the expansion of JKIA.
While appearing before the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the PS highlighted that the government would look for investors with better ideas following the cancellation of the Adani deal which was widely rejected by Kenyans.
He added that the government would also weigh the options available before settling on the investor who offers the best deal to the country.
“The only viable way to finance this is through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Since Kenyans have rejected the Adani Group, we will need to identify a partner with better ideas and options to execute the project, not necessarily Adani,” he stated.
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Meanwhile, he explained that the PPP model was the only way viable for the project citing financial strain in the budget.
The PS also expressed that the international airport also needs a major facelift given the high volume of passengers per year.
"JKIA, when it was built and designed, was meant to handle about 5–7 million passengers. Today, as the East African hub, it is handling in excess of 10 million passengers," the PS asserted.
"Therefore, it is in dire need of upgrading and modernization to accommodate these numbers."
On their part, the MPs cautioned the National Treasury and the government against secrecy in the new deal even as committee members supported the exploration of a PPP model.
“If executed properly, PPPs can play a transformative role in advancing Kenya’s infrastructure agenda without overburdening taxpayers. However, success hinges on transparency, accountability, and meaningful public engagement at every stage of the process,” Chepalungu MP Victor Koech stated.
The Adani deals for JKIA and KETRACO were cancelled by President William Ruto after Gautam Adani was charged in the US for fraud amidst bribery allegations in India.
