Kenya Airports Authorityseeks new duty free shop operator at JKIA

By MACHARIA KAMAU

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has started recruiting a firm to run new duty free shops at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The authority said it is looking for a new retail master concessionaire to run the duty free shops at Terminal 4, currently under construction.

The terminal is expected to start operations in the course of 2014, according to an announcement made on Friday.

The search for a new concessionaire follows the “unconditional” surrender of the duty free shops at the airport by Diplomatic Duty Free and World Duty Free companies.

Diplomatic Duty Free company, which has run the shops for more than two decades, is associated with controversial businessman Kamlesh Pattni.

The airports’ management body said only firms with experience in running duty free shops in other airports would be considered.

“KAA wishes to engage a reputable Duty Free Retail Master Concessionaire to manage its duty free offering at the new Jomo Kenyatta Terminal Unit 4… only firms with relevant experience as duty free master concessionaire in the travel retail business shall be considered,” said KAA in an international tender notice.

Legal battles

Pattni, in September gave back the duty free shops and other premises to the KAA after years of legal battles. He also promised to withdraw court cases and renounce Sh4.2 billion, which KAA was to pay him for breach of contract in relation to termination of the duty free shops contract.

The truce between the two gave KAA an opportunity for a fresh start.KAA is also looking to recruit an ‘international branded fast food outlet’ to manage a similar facility at the Terminal 4.  The firm should be operating at least 10 fast food outlets in other countries, and have operations in at least three continents.

The terminal would be partially openned by the of this year.