Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has invited a Chinese company BUCG International, to submit their interest in the modernization and expansion project of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

PCS Mudavadi who met the company’s president, Mr. Raymond Luo, alongside Mr. Harold Huang, General Manager of Marketing, affirmed the government’s plans to improve the infrastructural status and operational efficiency of JKIA.

“Kenya needs a modernized Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to strengthen its position as a leading hub for Eastern Africa and the continent at large. I met with the leadership of BUCG International, they shared insights from their 42 years of experience building over 30 airport terminals, runways, and specialized aviation facilities worldwide,” Mudavadi said.

He added, “I encouraged them to submit their expression of interest as Kenya prepares to invite contractors for the upcoming JKIA expansion.”

This comes months after President William Ruto ordered the cancellation of the procurement process of the JKIA by India’s Adani Group, that would have seen an addition of a second runway at the Airport and an upgrade of the passenger terminal in exchange for a 30-year lease.

The withdrawal from the ill-fated deal was prompted by the indictment of the group’s director in a $250 million graft case in the United States, and also the revelation by Kenyan France based student whistleblower, Nelson Amenya.

“I have directed agencies within the Ministry of Transport and within the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum to immediately cancel the ongoing procurement,” read President Ruto’s statement confirming the cancellation in November, 2024.
Mudavadi is in Beijing, China accompanying H.E. President William Ruto for a state visit at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China.