The Kenyan government has denied awarding a Sh154 billion contract to modernise Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to a company linked to controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo.

State House said on Thursday that IMC Construction Kenya — the firm in question — wasn't the contractor for the project. The government also disputed the Sh154 billion figure, calling it inaccurate.

But the denial itself has raised more questions than answers. How did the story of a Sh154 billion deal with Chivayo's firm even surface? And why did it take a public denial to clarify?

Wicknell Chivayo isn't a stranger to controversy. In Zimbabwe, he's known for winning big government contracts — especially in energy — that often end up in court. His name has become shorthand in the region for opaque deals and political connections.

IMC Construction Kenya is registered in Nairobi. But details about its ownership, track record, and capacity to handle a project of this scale remain murky. The government hasn't explained how the company's name ended up in the conversation.

The JKIA expansion has been a hot topic for years. The airport is East Africa's busiest, handling millions of passengers annually. But it's ageing. The terminal is cramped. The runways need work. Everyone agrees something must be done.

What no one agrees on is who should do it, at what cost, and under what terms. The Sh154 billion figure — even if denied — is staggering. For context, that's more than the entire budget of some counties.

Opposition leaders and civil society groups have already started asking for a full list of bidders and the procurement process. They want to know if the deal was ever on the table, and if so, why it wasn't made public earlier.

For now, the government says the project will follow due process. But in a country where mega-deals have a habit of being awarded in boardrooms rather than through open tenders, many Kenyans aren't convinced.

The ball is now in the government's court. It can either release the full procurement record and put the matter to rest — or let the suspicion fester. Nairobi is different. But even by Nairobi standards, this one smells.

  • Sh154 billion: The disputed contract amount
  • JKIA: East Africa's busiest airport, handling over 8 million passengers yearly
  • Wicknell Chivayo: Zimbabwean businessman with a history of controversial government contracts
  • IMC Construction Kenya: The company at the centre of the denial
  • State House denial: Issued June 18, 2026