Political commentator and analyst Professor Herman Manyora has warned President William Ruto over the JKIA business deal with the Zimbabwe businessman Mr. Wicknell Chivayo.
In an exclusive Interview with a local YouTube channel. He said Chivayo is linked to scandals and it won’t be wise for him to be awarded the multi-billion business deal.
Awarding the multi-billion-dollar JKIA expansion deal to Wicknell Chivayo or his associated companies would represent a grave misstep for Kenya’s infrastructure ambitions and public trust.
Chivayo, a Zimbabwean businessman whose firm IMC Construction has been linked in media reports to the controversial $2.9 billion (or government-stated $1.2 billion) project, carries a well-documented history of legal troubles that raises serious red flags for a critical national asset like Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Subsequent allegations of fraud, money laundering, and irregular procurement in high-profile Zimbabwean projects, such as the troubled Gwanda solar initiative, have fueled perceptions of tender premiership securing lucrative government contracts through political connections rather than proven expertise.
His flamboyant displays of wealth, close associations with regional leaders including visits to Kenyan State House, and reports of distributing cash at JKIA itself amplify concerns over transparency and potential influence peddling, especially after the contentious collapse of the prior Adani Group deal.
Kenya deserves a contractor with an unblemished track record in large-scale aviation infrastructure, robust financial capacity, and adherence to international procurement standards not one whose involvement risks repeating cycles of inflated costs, delays, unfinished works, and corruption scandals that have plagued similar regional projects.
Prioritizing merit, competitive bidding, and public accountability over unverified consortia is essential to safeguard taxpayer funds, enhance airport capacity effectively, and uphold national sovereignty in strategic developments.
Entrusting such a vital multi-billion-shilling endeavor to a figure mired in controversy would undermine public confidence and Kenya’s development goals.
