By The Weekly Vision Reporter
A fierce tender war over the lucrative “meet and assist” services for guests arriving at and departing from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has sparked serious concerns over the facility’s security and operational standards.
A petition filed before the High Court and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has laid bare a bitter battle to control the lucrative contract, which involves welcoming and assisting high-end delegations, including diplomats, foreign military officials, and other VIP guests of the State.
According to court documents filed at the Milimani Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and its acting Managing Director, Dr Mohammed Gedi, are accused of flouting court orders to award tenders to companies that had been disqualified from providing the services.
The petition, lodged by Fredrick Mulaa, lists KAA, Tradewinds Aviation Services Limited, and Umbato Safaris Limited as respondents. It alleges that the authority contravened procurement laws to favour firms that were previously declared ineligible to offer meet-and-greet services at JKIA.
The dispute traces back to 2021, when Willis Protocol Concierge Services Limited proposed the professionalisation of the meet-and-assist services, prompting KAA to issue Tender No. KAA/OT/JKIA/MBD/00420200. Although several companies expressed interest, the contract was awarded to Umbato Safaris Limited. However, the High Court nullified the entire process in March 2021 (Judicial Review No. E006 of 2021).
In 2024, KAA once again invited bids for the same service under Tender No. KAA/RT/MBD/0207/2023-2024, with Tradewinds Aviation Services among the bidders. The company was disqualified at the technical evaluation stage, a decision upheld by both the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board and the High Court.
Despite these rulings, KAA allegedly went ahead and entered into contracts with both Umbato Safaris and Tradewinds Aviation Services, prompting allegations of contempt of court and abuse of office. In a letter dated 16 October 2025, addressed to the KAA Managing Director and copied to the EACC, S & S Advocates accused the authority of deliberately favouring the two firms despite existing court orders. “It is very clear that KAA entered into contracts with M/S Umbato Safaris and Tradewinds Aviation Services Ltd contrary to valid court orders which have never been reviewed or appealed. The same is also illegal given that KAA is a parastatal utilising public funds,” the letter reads in part.
The petitioner now wants the court to declare that KAA and its leadership violated the law by entering into contracts for a tender that had been nullified and by favouring firms previously declared unfit to participate. The tender wars are said to have severely undermined JKIA’s security and protocol standards. The petition cites instances of unprofessional conduct by contracted staff and warns that the lack of proper vetting and oversight could expose the facility to criminal exploitation.
Indeed, recent events appear to validate these concerns. In October, four suspects were arraigned before the JKIA Law Courts for their alleged involvement in an international drug trafficking syndicate operating through the airport.
Between 5th and 7th October 2025, officers from the Multi-Agency Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) arrested the suspects, among them Rishad Abdulrahim Sheikh, believed to be the syndicate’s head, and Muamar Mutua Mohammed, its logistics coordinator.
The arrests followed a media exposé highlighting glaring security lapses at JKIA, including reports of narcotics being trafficked under the watch of airport personnel and surveillance systems. Investigators have since linked the local operation to an international network involving Jesse Da Mata Dos Santos, a British national detained in London with 20 kilogrammes of cocaine.
According to court affidavits, Sheikh, who holds dual Kenyan-British citizenship, and Hajinur Yussuf Mohamed, also a British national and reportedly his cousin were tracked to Nyali Centre Mall in Mombasa before being arrested alongside others in Utawala, Nairobi. Detectives recovered two suspected packages of narcotics and seven mobile phones now under forensic examination.
With international scrutiny already high, the ongoing tender battles risk further tarnishing JKIA’s image as East Africa’s busiest airport. Aviation experts warn that continued disregard for due process and security protocols could lead to the downgrading of the airport’s international status. As investigations continue, the High Court and EACC are now under pressure to rein in KAA’s management and restore professionalism and compliance at Kenya’s premier aviation gateway.
