Itumbi Heckled By University Students While Defending JKIA-Adani Deal [VIDEO]

Dennis Itumbi, Head of Creative Economy and Special Projects, was on Friday, September 20 jeered and booed by university students after his defence of the Adani-Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) takeover deal saw him waltz into hostile territory at once.

Itumbi was addressing the students at the Bomas of Kenya where the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) was launching a program where university students can engage directly with the ruling Kenya Kwanza government.

The renowned digital strategist was keen on defending the government’s move to implement widespread renovations at JKIA, the country’s biggest airport by passenger traffic numbers, but the students didn’t want to hear any of it.

Here is the video:

Dennis Itumbi heckled by university students during UDA function at Bomas of Kenya while trying to defend JKIA-Adani deal#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/vuhUsZ9qA9
— Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) September 20, 2024

Itumbi then found himself struggling to contain the disgruntled voices while explaining his sentiments as the heckling intensified. “Give me time. You will have your say. Let me have my say,” he pleaded.

He justified the government’s plan to carry out widespread reforms at the international airport, citing competition being mounted by airports in neighbouring countries such as Rwanda and Ethiopia

“JKIA was built in 1978 to cater for only 7 million passengers per year. As we speak today, JKIA is almost hitting 21 million passengers,” he explained amidst jeers from the crowd.

“Our neighbours in Rwanda are building a brand new airport to have 7 million passengers. Our neighbours in Ethiopia are building an airport that is touted to be the biggest in Africa.”

Over 2,000 University students from different parts of the country were mobilized as the ruling party explored different strategies to engage stakeholders at a time when Kenya Kwanza is having a hard time selling its ideas to Kenyans.

The Adani takeover deal has seen one of the numerous instances of the government attracting massive uproar from all corners of the country with Kenyans now warming up to the idea that this could be the first regime in Kenya’s history to serve for just one term…come 2027.

Kenyans have been opposed to the idea that Adani would run JKIA for a period of 30 years, and airport workers have been particularly against that idea, fearing that the Indian conglomerate would bring in their own staff and send home those working at the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA).

Adani has committed to a Ksh238 billion investment to upgrade and expand the airport. Several stakeholders including the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Law Society of Kenya (LSK) however moved to court to stop the deal citing that leasing a strategic and profitable JKIA to a private entity with questionable past reputation is irrational.