Sh1.4b Wilson Airport upgrade hit by delays, claims of shoddy works

Aviation sector players have raised alarm over the ongoing rehabilitation works at Wilson Airport. [File, Standard]

Aviation sector players have raised alarm over the ongoing rehabilitation works at Wilson Airport, warning that questionable engineering standards and poor workmanship risk leaving the airport in a worse state.

The project, which is supposed to be 50 per cent complete, has also been hit by major delays and has only achieved a 25 per cent completion rate.

The airport, the busiest general aviation hub in Africa, has long been collapsing under the weight of its success and years of neglect.

It has, over time, repeatedly reported incidents on the runway, many of them linked to the poor state of infrastructure. The rehabilitation works, the first major infrastructure for the airport, were expected to cure such challenges.

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) last year embarked on the rehabilitation of the runways, noting that “runways, taxiways and aprons have deteriorated significantly, with an outdated airfield ground lighting system and obsolete equipment that no longer meet modern aviation standards”.

KAA awarded a Sh1.4 billion tender to Frontier Engineering Ltd for the rehabilitation of runway 14-32, through which planes either approach the airport from the Kilimani, Kibera, and Lang’ata corridors or fly in from the southeast over Nairobi National Park.

The rehabilitation works began in September last year. The firm was expected to be on site for 18 months, during which it would undertake “comprehensive rehabilitation works”, including widening the runway “from 23 metres to 30 metres” and “extending from 1560 metres to 1720 metres”.

The longer runway is expected to enable the landing of larger aircraft.

All operations have since been relocated to runway 07-25, which runs parallel to Langata Road.

In the final 45 days of the project, there will be a “total closure of both runways”, with operations expected to be transferred to JKIA to facilitate work at the intersection of the two runways.

Adherence to the timelines should have meant that the project should be at the 50 per cent mark, but players say it is only at 25 per cent.

Other than delays, there is also grumbling among users of the airport, who are now raising concerns about the quality of execution and the engineering standards being applied. They cast doubt that the project might not deliver the long-term value expected from such a substantial public investment.

Recent site observations and photographic evidence circulating among stakeholders, some of which Financial Standard has seen, show uneven segments of tarmac, variations in runway surface and centreline texture, and sections of the runway that flooded with water after the recent heavy rains.

The contractor has also been accused of compromising safety at the airside by leaving construction materials unattended.

“The contractor has failed to deliver the required smooth and continuous feel on the runway. The current layout exhibits noticeable felt transitions and visible joints, violating baseline aviation standards,” said an operator based at Wilson.

“The project is arguably the first major runway rehabilitation programme of this scale in the airport’s almost 100-year history. For the aviation community, this project extends far beyond a routine infrastructure upgrade; it is also about the protection and sustainability of one of Kenya’s most critical national assets.”

The operator also said there are concerns by industry stakeholders over what they perceive as limited transparency and insufficient engagement regarding quality assurance measures and project progress.

While several efforts have reportedly been made to seek clarification on specific concerns, stakeholders contend that these concerns have not always received the level of attention and response expected for a project of such national importance.

Players now want KAA to bring on board an independent technical reviewer to oversee the project.

“The users are now pushing for a formal engineering survey and smoothness compliance check because the consensus is that the runway is currently unfit for operational use. The thinking among industry players is that an objective assessment would help provide confidence that the project is being delivered in accordance with the required engineering specifications and that taxpayers are receiving full value for money,” said the operator.

The  airport has served as a cornerstone of Kenya’s aviation ecosystem for nearly a century. It has been a critical extension for Kenya’s tourism, business, humanitarian operations, medical evacuation, flight training, and regional connectivity.

Despite its strategic importance to the economy, many industry stakeholders have long maintained that the airport has not received investment commensurate with its contribution to the country’s growth and development.

It was only in 2023 that the runway rehabilitation project received the go-ahead. The ongoing Sh1.4 billion rehabilitation of Runway 14-32 and associated infrastructure is one of the largest public investments ever undertaken at the facility.

The rehabilitation is expected to partly address the mishaps that Wilson has experienced over time. The airport has been subject to scrutiny following repeated near-misses and runway excursions driven by poor infrastructure.

Civil aviation authorities have in the past admitted to critical safety lapses after a series of high-profile accidents, including a March 2026 incident where a domestic flight from Kisumu carrying 39 people skidded off the runway.

In May, another plane crash-landed and narrowly missed breaching the perimeter fence.

A Senate Standing Committee inquiry recently noted that the incidents are worsened by delayed runway rehabilitation, flooded tarmac surfaces, non-functional lighting, and illegal, unmarked high-rise real estate encroaching directly onto the South C and Bomas flight approach paths.

The insensitive land use has left the airport as an island of sorts, surrounded by numerous high-rise buildings.

Thus, while Wilson Airport rivals the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in terms of the number of aircraft that land and take off at the facility, its area is a fraction of JKIA, while facing other myriad challenges.

The many incidents have, in the past, seen the UK, through its Foreign Commonwealth Office, warn its citizens about the use of planes that operate at Wilson.

A 2020 KCAA report noted that the developments in its surrounding areas are a threat and might hamper attempts to further improve the airport and maximise its potential.

KCAA noted that “land encroachment at Wilson Airport is a safety hazard, with high-rise buildings in the vicinity of the airport, which is also used for training students”.

“Aerodromes are occasionally ignored during land use planning and control (Wilson Airport is one such case),” said KCAA in the report evaluating the status of the aviation industry.

Seamless connectivity

In 2025, Wilson Airport recorded 85,146 aircraft movements, making it the second-busiest airport in Kenya after JKIA.

Beyond traffic statistics, Wilson Airport serves as a critical feeder airport to JKIA.

Thousands of international visitors arriving in Kenya every year transit through Wilson Airport to reach key tourism destinations such as the Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu, Lewa, Laikipia, Tsavo, and other renowned conservation areas.

The success of Kenya’s globally recognised tourism brand is heavily dependent on the seamless connectivity provided through Wilson Airport. Wilson is also home to the highest concentration of privately funded aviation infrastructure in the country.

Over the decades, investors, many of them Kenyan, have committed billions of shillings towards the development of hangars, maintenance facilities, training centres, operational bases, office complexes, and other aviation support infrastructure.

These investments support hundreds of businesses and sustain thousands of direct and indirect jobs across the aviation value chain.

“It is because of the airport’s strategic importance that stakeholders are closely monitoring this project,” said the Wilson Airport-based operator.

“Questions are being raised as to whether the standards being achieved today will deliver the durability, resilience, and operational performance expected from a Sh4 billion investment. Stakeholders argue that when public resources are committed at this scale, the outcome must be infrastructure capable of safely and efficiently supporting aviation operations for decades to come.”