CRBC and Kenya Sign Contract for $1.2B Expansion of Nairobi Airport

On 23 June 2026, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) General Manager YU Xiaodong and Kenya’s Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir signed the contract for the expansion of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya. Principal Secretary for Aviation Teresia Mbaika and representatives of the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) attended the signing ceremony.

30% of the financing of the Project comes from Development Finance Institutions (#DFI), while the Government of Kenya will put up the remaining 30%. The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and the Trade and Development Bank (TDB) are the lead arrangers to mobilize the financing.

Due to some media reports, there was some controversy regarding the cost of the project. Some media outlets reported that the cost was as high as USD 2.9 billion, but the signed contract put the cost at USD 1.2 billion. This deal with #CRBC also replaces the previous one with Adani Group, which encountered public backlash due to alleged misconduct.

China Road and Bridge Corporation (SHSE: 600106) is actually a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC). Combined, the two companies have extensive experience implementing infrastructure projects in Kenya and across Africa.

As for the implementation timeline, the Project is broken down into three phases. In the 1st phase lasting 15 months, the runways and taxiways will be upgraded. Then, in the 2nd phase lasting 18 months, the terminal will be expanded from 7.5 to 12 million passengers annually. Finally, the 3rd phase will see the emergence of a brand new terminal, the construction of which is expected to take three years.

The new terminal will increase the capacity by another 10 million passengers, bringing the total handling capacity up to 22 million per annum. The final completion date and full delivery of the Project are projected to be around July 2029.