World Bank Approves $203.5 million For Reconstruction Of Jomo Kenyatta Airport

World Bank has approved a Sh17.5 billion ($203.5 million) loan geared towards the reconstruction of Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) arrivals terminal which was destroyed by a fire disaster in August last year.  The fire left thousands of travellers trapped, disrupting international flights for a few days, thus forcing the Kenyan Airports Authority (KAA) to set up a temporary arrangement for international passengers by using a reserved part of the domestic terminal so as to avoid grounding operations at the airport, which is a major tourism hub and key contributor to Kenya’s economy.

The cause of the fire was attributed to electrical faults and its demolition and reconstruction was recommended by structural engineers.  The World Bank loan is earmarked for the construction of a temporary arrivals terminal valued at Sh2.37 billion ($27.6 million) while the rest will go into the construction of a permanent international arrivals lounge facility in terminal 4 and preparing the KAA’s crisis response team.

“The additional financing will support the government to restore operations at Kenya’s premier international airport and also to improve the preparedness of Kenya Airports Authority to respond to disasters such as last year’s fire emergency,” Diarietou Gaye, World Bank’s Country Director for Kenya said.  Built in 1978, the Nairobi-based international airport was projected to cater for 2.5 million passengers, but as at last year, its capacity had expanded to about 6.3 million passengers.

JKIA is the busiest international airport in East Africa with a schedule of more than 40 international flights, serving as a major cargo carrier for the exportation of produce. The reconstruction will expand the airport’s international terminals and help cater to increasing movement of people, goods and capital in the region.

Copyright Ventures Africa 2014