Work on controversial Greenfield terminal at the JKIA finally starts
President Uhuru Kenyatta tours the construction site of JKIA’s expansion project. Photo/PSCU
What you need to know:
The controversial process
March 9, 2011: KAA board approves the project
June 24, 2011: Tender is advertised
Oct 3, 2011: Ministry approves procurement process
Dec 16, 2011: Tender is awarded
Jan 2012: Former minister Kimunya orders cancellation of tender
Dec 03, 2013: President Uhuru Kenya breaks ground for new terminal
Work on the controversial new airport terminal at the Jomo Kenyatta International finally got underway yesterday with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s launch of the Sh56 billion project.
Construction of the terminal has been beset by tendering rows that saw various government agencies back different Chinese firms for the job.
“We want to make JKIA the most convenient, comfortable and secure airport in the region; to make Kenya the most attractive air hub in Africa,” said President Kenyatta when he broke ground for the new terminal.
The Greenfield terminal is expected to handle 20 million passengers in a year.
Construction of the Sh56.24 billion ($654 million) facility will be carried out by Anhui Civil Engineering Group (ACEG) and China Aero Technology Engineering International Corporation (Cactic).
There was an uproar last year when it came to light that the KAA management had given the job to the Chinese companies against the wishes of senior officials in the ministry of Transport then headed by Amos Kimunya.
The tender for the terminal attracted three firms from Kenya, 12 Chinese, four European and three from other African countries. ACEG and Cactic emerged the winner.
Competing interests for the tender, however, saw KAA managing director Stephen Gichuki suspended, reinstated by the court and later retired as the board — then chaired by Embu governor Martin Wambora — raised eyebrows on how the award had been expedited.
Mr Kimunya cancelled the award and ordered the job be floated afresh, before the Public Procurement Oversight Authority (PPOA) ruled the award was above board ordering KAA to sign the contracts with the firms.
Kenya Airways had earlier raised issue with the design of the terminal stating passengers would have longer distances to walk and the design was less efficient for airlines.
The terminals architecture has been done by Pascall+Watson Architects, of the UK. KAA settled for an elongated X concept which is similar to that used at the Abu Dhabi International Airport.
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