Nairobi — National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has called for the construction of a new airport, describing the current state of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as an embarrassment to the country.

Speaking over the weekend, Mbadi urged Kenyans not to oppose the airport's modernisation for political or emotional reasons, but to consider its strategic importance to logistics, trade and tourism.

He said Kenya cannot claim to be the largest economy in Central and East Africa while operating an airport that lags behind those of smaller economies such as Rwanda and Ethiopia.

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"Shame on us. We must do this airport. We must look for resources to modernise JKIA, otherwise we will lose our advantage as a regional logistics hub," Mbadi said.

"People will move to a tiny country like Rwanda with better facilities. Others will go to Ethiopia, which we have just overtaken as the sixth-largest economy in Africa. Why subject ourselves to such shame just because we are not bold enough?"

Mbadi's remarks come after President William Ruto last month announced plans to upgrade JKIA through the Sovereign Wealth Fund, positioning Kenya as a regional diplomatic, business and aviation hub.

"In 2026, we will begin the construction of a modern, world-class airport at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to anchor our nation as the aviation capital of our region and boost our trade and tourism sectors," President Ruto said during his end-of-year address at Eldoret State Lodge.

JKIA's expansion plans have previously stalled following the cancellation of a proposed public-private partnership involving India's Adani Group, which was expected to finance and develop a new passenger terminal and related facilities.

The termination of the deal left the project in limbo amid concerns over procurement and financing, forcing the government to reassess its approach.