A new multibillion-shilling airport expansion deal in Kenya has once again thrust Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo into the regional spotlight, reviving long-standing questions about his controversial history, past incarceration, and a business record marked by high-value government contracts and persistent allegations of irregularities.
Chivayo’s firm, IMC Construction Kenya, has reportedly been included in a consortium linked to the Sh375 billion JKIA expansion project in Nairobi, alongside Chinese state-linked partners.
The development has triggered renewed scrutiny in Kenya and across the region over his entry into major public infrastructure deals.
Chivayo’s rise in Southern Africa’s business and political circles has been anything but conventional.
Born in Harare in 1982, he first attracted public attention through legal troubles in Zimbabwe, including a 2011 arrest on multiple fraud and money laundering charges.
Although he was later acquitted, reports show that his early business years were already entangled in court cases and criminal investigations.
He would later become widely known as a “tenderpreneur,” a figure whose wealth is closely tied to state contracts.
His company Intratrek Zimbabwe secured a major solar energy contract worth about $172 million under the Gwanda Solar Project, which later stalled amid allegations of non-performance and financial mismanagement.
Despite the controversy, Chivayo has consistently denied wrongdoing, often attributing allegations to political targeting and defending his business record in court and public statements.
Over the years, Chivayo’s companies have been linked to several major government tenders across Zimbabwe and the wider region.
These include the Gwanda Solar Project, where large advance payments were reportedly made despite limited visible progress on the ground.
In 2024 and 2025, additional reports linked him to electoral and procurement-related contracts in Zimbabwe valued in the tens of millions of dollars, drawing accusations of procurement irregularities and political patronage.
Investigative accounts have also pointed to his pattern of involvement in state-linked projects, often accompanied by close relationships with senior political figures in Zimbabwe and beyond.
Critics argue this proximity has helped him secure contracts, while supporters describe him as a bold investor in risky sectors.
Beyond contracts, Chivayo has cultivated a highly visible public image defined by luxury spending, philanthropy, and frequent displays of wealth, including luxury vehicles and private jets.
His generosity toward public figures and institutions has further amplified his influence in Zimbabwean public life.
At the same time, his close interactions with political leaders across the region have fueled debate over the intersection of business and state power.
Reports indicate he has been received in high-level government offices and has engaged in investment discussions with senior officials in multiple African countries, including Kenya.
His latest involvement in the JKIA expansion project has reignited scrutiny, particularly given the scale of the infrastructure plan and its strategic importance to Kenya’s aviation sector.
The Sh375 billion project is one of the largest transport infrastructure investments in the country’s recent history, and his inclusion in the consortium has raised questions among governance observers and opposition figures about procurement transparency and due diligence.
While supporters of the deal argue it reflects Kenya’s push to attract international capital and expertise, critics point to Chivayo’s history as reason for caution, citing unresolved controversies surrounding past government contracts in Zimbabwe.
Chivayo’s trajectory reflects a broader pattern seen across parts of Africa, where politically connected business figures frequently emerge as key players in state-funded megaprojects.
His career—marked by court battles, high-value contracts, and persistent public scrutiny—continues to divide opinion.