The Ministry of Transport has dismissed claims linking Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo to the ongoing upgrade plans at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Speaking on Thursday, June 18, Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said the ministry had no knowledge of Chivayo's involvement in the project.
"We don't know this gentleman; I saw him for the first time in the media myself. He's not in any of our documentations, be it as a bidder or as a partner to any of the bidders," he said.
Chirchir maintained that none of the records available to the government indicate that Chivayo is participating in the bidding process either directly or through a partnership arrangement.
He further questioned the basis of the allegations and called on journalists to share any evidence supporting the claims.
Read More
"Maybe you need to help us, because you (journalists) do investigative journalism, and tell us where did you get this man from? And what documentations do you have to show that he's participating in any of these bids?" he added.
This comes days after President William Ruto announced that the upgrading of JKIA will commence in July.
Speaking on Friday, June 12, during a meeting with Marsabit County Grassroots leaders at State House, Nairobi, he said the government has the funds needed to modernize JKIA.
Ruto noted that the current state of JKIA is embarrassing to the nation, observing that the airport has remained largely unchanged since its construction decades ago.
"Our airport here was built in 1972. We tried to build another one, but people made a lot of noise, and to this day, our airport still has canvas on the tarmac. We are very embarrassed.
"But I want to assure you that this July we will begin constructing a new airport. We have the funds needed to build that airport because we want to transform Kenya," he announced.
On April 1, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) shared photos of the proposed design of the modernized JKIA.
In the photos shared by KAA, the new modernised JKIA will have a new passenger terminal built in the shape of a cross.
The hub will serve multiple planes at one go and will be fitted with more than 20 passenger boarding bridges, elevated paths used by passengers to board planes in major airports.
Upon expansion, the airport will have a large parking lot that will accommodate hundreds of vehicles. The pick-up and drop-off section will be a raised platform.
In addition, the new plan factors in the development of an Airport City and a Special Economic Zone.
Passengers using the airport will have to move around the facility through rail trams and a well-established bus rapid transit system.
