Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has expressed his concern about the proposal by Adani Airports Holding Limited to upgrade Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
In a statement shared on X on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, Omtatah stated that the secretive proposal to grant a concession to Adani Airports Holding Limited to finance, build and operate JKIA is an economic sabotage.
“I express my deep concern regarding recent revelations that border on economic sabotage over secretive plans to grant a concession to Adani Airports Holding Limited to finance, build and operate JKIA for 30 years, and give the company an equity stake in perpetuity,” Omtatah said.
He added that President William Ruto’s statement on the JKIA saga only came after the public outrage.
“President Ruto’s statement asking the public if he was mad to sell a strategic national asset only came after online public outrage raised concerns about the PIP undermining the principles of good governance, transparency, and the rule of law,” he said.
Omtatah further called members of the public and stakeholders to stay vigilant in the fight against corruption and the promotion of transparency and accountability in governance.
“I call on all stakeholders, including the public, civil society and the media, to always remain vigilant as citizens in our efforts to combat corruption and promote a culture of transparency & accountability in governance,” he urged.
Govt statement on Adani holding proposal
On July 29, 2024, the government announced that it received a Privately Initiated Proposal (PIP) from an Indian company in March 2024 to upgrade JKIA following public wrath.
In a statement, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi disclosed that the proposal by Adani Airport Holdings is currently undergoing a review.
“The Kenya Airports Authority received a Privately Initiated Proposal (PIP) from Adani Airport Holdings of India in March 2024,” the statement reads.
“The proposal is currently undergoing the requisite due process, reviews and negotiations in compliance with the PPP Act whose control checks will cover, value-for-money assessment, stakeholder engagement, National Treasury approval, clearance by the Attorney General, Cabinet approval and, where required, approval by Parliament before any agreement can be signed.”
Mudavadi stated that any proposal on JKIA shall be subjected to vetting by relevant security agencies adding that there shall be appropriate safeguards to ensure that the private party is held fully accountable for the performance of its obligations.
“In addition, given its status and the important role JKIA plays in national and international security and logistics, as well as being a gateway to a global multilateral hub, any proposal shall be subjected to the appropriate vetting by relevant security agencies,” the statement reads.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, all terms and conditions of the proposed arrangement are subject to negotiation by the provisions of the PPP Act and no terms have been agreed upon as yet. As and when the terms are agreed, there shall be appropriate safeguards to ensure that Kenya’s national interest prevails and that the private party is held fully accountable for the performance of its obligations.”
Ruto on JKIA saga
Ruto has denied reports that his administration intends to sell JKIA to a private investor.
Speaking during a town hall engagement with Mombasa residents on July 28, 2024, the head of state said that the country is only working on a PPP to upgrade the facility to give the airport a new look.
“I have seen many people saying Ruto wants to sell the airport, Am I a madman? How do you sell a strategic national asset? You have to be insane. We must have the right investment for the airport. What we want to do is to work under the PPP programme,” Ruto said.
“We are not selling JKIA we want to bring in private investors to help us refurbish the facility through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.”
I express my deep concern regarding recent revelations that border on economic sabotage over secretive plans to grant concession to Adani Airports Holding Limited to finance, build and operate JKIA for 30 years, and give the company an equity stake in perpetuity.
President… pic.twitter.com/JSfWW0B692
— Okiya Omtatah Okoiti (@OkiyaOmtatah) July 30, 2024