Economic analyst Ephraim Njega has raised concerns over the proposed modernisation of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), questioning whether the project will deliver tangible economic benefits or merely serve political and aesthetic interests.
In a statement shared on social media, Njega described the push to upgrade JKIA as “vendor-driven” and “politically-motivated,” cautioning that building infrastructure without demand is unlikely to generate economic growth.
He challenged claims that the airport’s current state deters tourists, asking whether visitors are truly dissuaded from coming to Kenya because of JKIA’s facilities.
“The answer to these questions is a big no,” Njega said, suggesting that the upgrade’s justification on the grounds of modernisation alone is weak.
Njega invoked the late economist David Ndii’s critique of the “build, and they will come” mindset, which assumes that constructing infrastructure automatically drives development.
He argued that without parallel efforts to market the country, attract investments, and increase visitor arrivals, the airport expansion risks becoming “a monument of economic mismanagement.”
The analyst warned that excessive infrastructure spending in a context of widespread poverty could burden the country with debt while primarily benefiting contractors and vendors.
“Grand infrastructure in the face of mass impoverishment is just a monument of economic mismanagement,” Njega stated, adding that even political gains from the project are uncertain if citizens feel no improvement in their livelihoods.
Njega’s comments arrive amid ongoing debates about Kenya’s infrastructure priorities, highlighting concerns over whether large-scale projects are driven by strategic economic planning or political visibility.
He urged policymakers to focus on sustainable economic growth that creates genuine demand, rather than investing in costly developments whose benefits may not reach the broader population.
This critique underscores the ongoing tension in Kenya between ambitious infrastructural visions and the practical realities of funding, economic demand, and social impact.