Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo’s company, IMC Construction Kenya, has won a stake in a US$2.9 billion tender to expand Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta...
HARARE — Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo’s company, IMC Construction Kenya, has won a stake in a US$2.9 billion tender to expand Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), marking a major regional project for the entrepreneur.
According to information obtained by ZimLive, state-owned China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) partnered with its subsidiary, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), and IMC Construction Kenya to form the consortium that secured the project.
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Two people familiar with the deal said IMC Construction Kenya, which is wholly owned by Chivayo, was included as a joint venture partner in the airport expansion project.
China Communications Construction Company recorded revenues of US$136.7 billion in 2023. Kenya is expected to contribute US$1.3 billion towards the project, while the remaining funding will come from local and Chinese banks.
To address funding challenges that had previously delayed the project, Kenya established the National Infrastructure Fund using proceeds from the privatisation of the Kenya Pipeline Company.
The expansion project includes the construction of a new runway expected to be completed by 2029. Once complete, airfield capacity at JKIA will increase from 14 aircraft movements per hour to 63.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport currently handles nearly 8.8 million passengers annually, exceeding its original design capacity of eight million passengers.
The project had initially been awarded to India’s Adani Group in 2024 at an estimated cost of US$1.85 billion. However, the deal was cancelled after Kenyan labour unions raised concerns over contractual terms and following a United States corruption investigation involving the company. The tender was re-advertised earlier this year and awarded to the CCCC-led consortium after competitive bidding.
For Chivayo, the project represents a significant expansion of his business interests outside Zimbabwe. His companies have secured contracts worth nearly US$1 billion in Zimbabwe, including a US$173 million solar power project in Gwanda, a US$163 million contract to rehabilitate Munyati Power Station and a US$131 million project for the 30MW Gairezi hydro power station.
IMC Construction is also undertaking the construction of two five-star hotels in Tanzania’s Serengeti and Ngorongoro regions in a project reportedly valued at US$200 million.
Chivayo, who maintains close relations with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has also been photographed with several African leaders, including presidents from Tanzania, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and South Africa.
Within Zimbabwe, Chivayo has built a reputation for philanthropy through donations to churches, politicians, football clubs, celebrities and individuals. Reports estimate that he donated more than US$200 million during 2025 alone.
Meanwhile, competition among East African countries to expand aviation infrastructure continues to intensify. Rwanda is developing Bugesera International Airport with a target capacity of 14 million passengers annually, while Tanzania has expanded Julius Nyerere International Airport to handle eight million passengers a year.
Ethiopia also broke ground in January for a new airport in Bishoftu that is designed to accommodate up to 110 million passengers annually.