Kenya Issues Tender for Jomo Kenyatta Airport (JKIA)

Kevin Rozario

London

March 4, 2026

mod Jomo Kenyatta International Airport KAA

Kenya's leading gateway may finally get the overhaul it desperately needs.

© KAA

Kenya’s State Department for Aviation and Aerospace Development (SDAAD) issued a tender on Tuesday for the proposed design, development, and modernization of the country’s primary international gateway, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO).

The airport in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, handles the majority of long‑haul and regional traffic, and has been slated for refurbishment and expansion for more than a decade. While multiple plans have been announced over the years—notably a failed deal with Adani—nothing has yet materialized.

In late February, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) formally presented an integrated masterplan for NBO to the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU), outlining traffic forecasts, demand and capacity analysis, phased infrastructure development, capital expenditure (CAPEX), and financial feasibility projections.

Key among the plans is the construction of a new terminal complex with a capacity of 10 million passengers annually in phase 1 and an additional five million in phase 2. Also included is the construction of a new runway by 2029 and increased airfield capacity to handle approximately 63 aircraft movements per hour.

Overcoming Space and Circulation Constraints

A week later, the tender was released on the same day that Transport Minister Davis Chirchir held a press conference about NBO’s expansion. He said: “Jomo Kenyatta International Airport handled approximately 8.93 million passengers in 2025, exceeding its designed capacity of about 7.5 million passengers per year. The airport operates with a single runway and a terminal complex that has evolved incrementally over time, resulting in space and circulation constraints.”

Overcrowding is the main driver behind the expansion and refurbishment plan, and the new tender identifies three core requirements to be implemented:

  • Improvement of the existing airfield (within 15 months)
  • Improvement and renovation of existing terminals (within 15 months)
  • Development of a new passenger terminal building and associated landside, airside, and support facilities (within 36 months).
mod Kenya JKIA tender document v2

The tender document was issues on March 3.

Private and State Enterprises Eligible

The SDAAD says that both private entities and state-owned enterprises can take part in the tender, including “in any combination of such entities in the form of a joint venture (JV) under an existing agreement or with the intent to enter into such an agreement.”

The winner will be able to subcontract the following:

  • Airport ground lighting systems (AGL)
  • Passenger boarding bridges
  • Baggage handling systems
  • Security and passenger screening systems
  • Immigration and airport smart technology
  • Firefighting and fire alarm systems.

The deadline for tender submissions is April 23, 2026, after which all submissions will be publicly opened in the conference room on the 8th Floor, State Department for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Transcom House, Ngong Road, Nairobi. Evaluations and assessments will then begin immediately.

Chirchir noted that the KAA also intends to develop an airport city and a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to position NBO as a fully integrated aviation-led economic hub of national and regional significance. He said: “The airport city and SEZ will maximize the economic value of the airport beyond aeronautical operations by attracting logistics, trade, manufacturing, business, and service-oriented activities that benefit from direct proximity to air transport.”

Click here to see the full tender document.