The Kenyan government has awarded a Ksh154 billion contract to China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) for the modernization of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), despite an ongoing High Court case challenging the project.

• The contract is valued at Ksh154 billion.
• Key players include the Kenyan government and China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), with Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir announcing the deal.
• The project faces legal challenges from the Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK), citing concerns over transparency and procurement procedures.

The China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) has been awarded a Sh154.2 billion deal to expand Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), a significant step in upgrading Kenya's primary aviation hub.

• The project's total value is Sh154.2 billion.
• The deal was signed between the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and Kenyan government officials, including Transport CS Davis Chirchir.
• The expansion will focus on constructing a new terminal and upgrading existing infrastructure, aiming to increase JKIA's passenger handling capacity from 7.5 million to 22 million annually, rather than building a new runway.

Following Kenya's successful restructuring of Chinese loans, other nations are now considering repaying their debts to China in the Chinese yuan instead of the U.S. dollar.

• Kenya is projected to save approximately Ksh27.83 billion (USD215 million) annually through this debt conversion.
• A study by AidData highlights that at least five countries, including Ethiopia, Mozambique, Zambia, Pakistan, and Indonesia, are exploring similar arrangements.
• This shift could be part of a broader Chinese strategy to internationalize its currency and help developing economies manage debt burdened by dollar-denominated borrowing.

A suspect has been sentenced to three years in prison or a Sh10 million fine for defrauding a Chinese investor of Ksh151 million through a sophisticated mineral export scam.

• The total amount defrauded was Ksh151 million.
• The key individual convicted is the mastermind of the transnational fraud.
• Containers that were supposed to hold Tantalum were found to be packed with sand, and further inspection at the Port of Mombasa revealed more suspicious shipments.

A Nairobi court has sentenced the alleged mastermind behind a Ksh151 million fake tantalum scam to three years in prison or a Ksh10 million fine, holding him responsible for defrauding a Chinese investor.

• Ksh151 million was lost by the defrauded Chinese investor.
• The convicted individual is Ulundu Patrick Lumumba, also known by aliases Gabriel Kulonda and Lumumba Patrick Byarufu.
• The scam involved falsely declaring containers filled with sand as valuable tantalum, exposing a sophisticated transnational mineral export fraud spanning multiple countries.