The government has announced a major milestone in its bid to revive stalled infrastructure projects after clearing KSh177 billion in pending bills owed to road contractors, with works on the long-awaited modernization of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) also officially getting underway.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the clearance of the pending bills has unlocked road projects that had stalled during the 2020/2021 financial year, allowing contractors to return to sites across the country.
Speaking on Friday after chairing a high-level meeting at Harambee House Annex to review the progress of road projects and the JKIA modernization programme, Kindiki said the government’s roads agenda is now back on track.
“Our national roads programme has resumed with the Government having cleared KSh177 billion of pending bills owed to contractors of roads that stalled in the 2020-2021 period,” he said.
According to the Deputy President, the government has paid road contractors KSh270 billion over the past one year, with construction currently ongoing on about 8,000 kilometres of bitumen roads spread across all the 47 counties.
The payments mark a significant relief for contractors, many of whom had suspended works after waiting years for the government to settle outstanding invoices. The delays had left several road projects incomplete, affecting transport, business activities and access to essential services in many parts of the country.
In the same briefing, Kindiki confirmed that the KSh155 billion modernization of JKIA officially began this week, describing the project as a key investment that will strengthen Kenya’s position as a regional transport and business hub.
The facelift is expected to include the construction of new passenger facilities, expansion of airport infrastructure and modernization of cargo handling systems to accommodate growing passenger and cargo traffic.
The airport upgrade comes months after the government defended the project following public debate over plans to modernize the country’s busiest airport. Officials have maintained that the expansion is necessary to improve efficiency, enhance passenger experience and support Kenya’s growing aviation sector.
Kindiki said he received an update on the status of road projects across the country and reviewed the implementation plan for the airport upgrade, including the scope of works and key milestones.
With contractors back on the ground and one of Kenya’s biggest airport projects now taking shape, the government is banking on infrastructure development to stimulate economic growth, improve connectivity and create employment opportunities across the country.