The World Bank has approved a US$206mn fund to repair Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport’s (JKIA) arrivals hall, which was destroyed by fire in August 2013
Of the total amount, US$27.6mn is expected to be alloted for the construction the temporary Greenfield Terminal as well as permanent facilities for the international arrival lounge in Terminal 4, currently under construction.
Diarietou Gaye, World Bank country director for Kenya, said, “Additional financing will support the government to restore operations at Kenya’s premier airport and improve disaster preparedness.”
Gaye added that the financing will also enable completion of ongoing contracts for upgrading of the two major trade and transport corridors to facilitate regional trade and integration.
Germany’s Roder HTS Hocker has already been awarded the tender to construct the 2.5mn passenger terminal expected to be completed by the end of 2014.
The Kenya government had also started work on the construction of a new US$654mn terminal at JKIA in December 2013.
The project is jointly funded by Kenyan and Chinese governments.
Two Chinese companies — Anhui Construction Engineering Group and China National Aero-Technology International Engineering Corporation — are working on the project.
Upon its completion in 2017, the new terminal would increase the passenger capacity from the current 6.5mn to 20mn.
With an annual passenger growth of 12 per cent, it is expected that by 2020, the passenger numbers will reach to 17.1mn and double by 2030.
The airport is projected to contribute over 10 per cent of the GDP through tourism, horticulture and other sectors.
Mbuvi Ngunze, chief operating officer of Kenya Airways, said, “We need to have the right infrastructure in place as we grow. We are optimistic that the works will be completed on time.”
— By Mwangi Mumero
