Kenya's government denies Wicknell Chivayo has any role in the $2.9 billion airport expansion deal

Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Transport has formally denied that any company linked to Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo played a role in the KSh375 billion ($2.9 billion) contract to expand Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, pushing back against reports that had placed Chivayo at the centre of one of the largest infrastructure deals in the country's recent history.

Addressing the media on June 18, CS Davis Chirchir said the company cited in connection with Chivayo was not among the contractors that submitted bids for the JKIA upgrade contract. "The said company is not among the contractors that submitted bids for the JKIA contract," Chirchir said. He added that the procurement process involved a comprehensive evaluation of bids and adherence to all statutory requirements, including due diligence, approvals and compliance with public procurement laws.

The government's clarification follows reporting by ZimLive, subsequently confirmed by The Standard and multiple other Kenyan outlets, that Chivayo's company IMC Construction Kenya had been brought in as a joint venture partner by China Communications Construction Company, the Chinese state-owned construction giant, alongside its subsidiary China Road and Bridge Corporation, which was awarded the JKIA contract. The reporting, which cited two people said to be familiar with the transaction, drew immediate public scrutiny given Chivayo's well-documented personal proximity to President William Ruto.

Chirchir also used the briefing to clarify the scope and cost of the project itself, saying the final contract value has not been determined and that the government does not expect the award to exceed KSh154.2 billion. He described the upgrade as comprising multiple components beyond the construction of a new passenger terminal, including rehabilitation of existing terminal facilities and airfield infrastructure, expansion of terminal buildings, development of a new greenfield terminal, improvements to aircraft stands, taxiways, utility networks, access roads, aviation systems and other supporting infrastructure. The existing terminal is expected to expand from a capacity of 7.5 million passengers annually to 12 million, while the new terminal will handle an additional 10 million, raising JKIA's overall capacity to approximately 22 million passengers per year. The CS defended the projected cost, saying benchmarking against comparable regional airport developments showed the construction cost was competitive and in some cases lower than similar projects, with the unit cost approximately 20 percent below comparable facilities classified under IATA Category B or C service standards.

Chivayo, 45, is a Zimbabwean businessman who has made multiple high-profile visits to Kenya's State House and has publicly described Ruto as a father figure and mentor. He shared photographs from the president's residence in Kilgoris in January 2025, met Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki at Sagana State Lodge in January 2026, and visited the newly built Wajir State Lodge on June 1, 2026, where he disclosed he was discussing a multimillion-dollar investment project with the president. He was also granted a Kenyan passport in February 2026, a decision made public by activist Boniface Mwangi.

His business history has drawn persistent scrutiny in Zimbabwe. He was convicted of theft in 2004 and faced corruption charges in 2018 related to a $5.6 million advance payment his company Intratrek Zimbabwe received for a 100-megawatt solar power plant in Gwanda, allegations that prosecutors said involved misappropriation of funds. He was acquitted in March 2023 after courts ruled the underlying contract was valid. His lawyers have consistently denied wrongdoing in all cases connected to his name.

The JKIA contract itself has a troubled recent history. The original 2024 award to India's Adani Group was cancelled following public protests in Kenya and a United States corruption investigation into the Indian conglomerate. The re-tendering process that produced the current CCCC-led award was intended to reset the procurement on cleaner terms, making the renewed scrutiny over Chivayo's reported involvement particularly sensitive for the Kenyan government.

Whether the government's formal denial fully closes the question remains to be seen. Chirchir's statement addressed the procurement process and the contractor list but did not directly address whether IMC Construction Kenya had any involvement in the project outside of a formal bid submission, nor did it engage with the specific nature of what ZimLive's sources described as a joint venture arrangement. The Kenyan public debate over the contract is unlikely to settle on the basis of a ministerial press briefing alone, given the scale of the deal, the recent Adani precedent, and the visibility of Chivayo's relationship with the presidency.