President William Ruto announced that the long-awaited construction of the new world-class airport will finally break ground in April this year, a major step in the government’s push to modernize Kenya’s national infrastructure.
Speaking on Saturday, January 17, during a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) grassroots leaders’ meeting in Nyeri, the President said the project would kick off either in April or early May, bringing to an end years of delays and uncertainty.
“The airport that has been a problem in this country, by the fourth or fifth month of this year, we will start building a new airport. This is because we must change the country,” Ruto said.
The Head of State emphasized that the airport is part of a grand national development agenda aimed at transforming Kenya into a first-world economy. He dismissed claims that major government projects were designed to benefit only select regions, insisting that development is being rolled out across the entire country.
Ruto added that this marked Kenya’s journey to becoming a first-world country, which was irreversible.
The proposed airport will ease the congestion at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, especially after the collapse of the controversial Adani-backed expansion deal in 2024.
People close to the project have revealed that the new plant is intended to be set up at Konza Technopolis, but an official announcement is yet to be made regarding the location.
Once finished, the airport will boast modern passenger terminals, increased runways, and expanded aircraft parking bays. The project is predicted to cost approximately Ksh 264 billion.
Beyond aviation, the President mentioned several other big infrastructure projects either currently in process or about to start.
Included is the building of a 700-kilometre highway linking Isiolo to Mandera, which Ruto said will open up North Eastern Kenya and increase security, boosting trade and economic integration within the region.
“These developments are happening in Nyeri, the Coast, the whole of Mt Kenya, Rift Valley, Western Kenya, Nyanza and North Eastern. We are constructing a 700-kilometre highway connecting North Eastern from Isiolo to Mandera,” he said.
Ruto also confirmed the expansion of SGR and said construction for the Naivasha–Kisumu–Malaba line, which is to be extended to Uganda, is scheduled to start in February 2026.
“Next month, I am going to launch the start of the construction of the railway line from Naivasha. It will go up to Kisumu, to Malaba and finally to Uganda,” the President said. The announcements are clear pointers to an ambitious infrastructure drive that the government is undertaking, with the airport project projected to feature among key anchors in positioning Kenya as a regional transport and logistical hub.
