Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s sentiments supporting Adani Group Limited’s decision to take over Kenya's main airport seem to have attracted widespread backlash not only domestically but even on the international front.
In a recent televised press briefing, the opposition leader expressed his unwavering support for the Indian conglomerate and underscored the country’s need to upgrade its infrastructure in critical sectors like transport, energy, and Information Communication and Technology (ICT).
During his Sunday noon speech, Odinga narrated how India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced him to Gautam Adani and organised a Kenyan delegation's visit to benchmark Adani Group's projects in the Gujarat State.
“When I was the Prime Minister of Kenya, I was introduced to the company and its activities by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was the chief minister of the State of Gujarat. Indeed, Prime Minister Modi organised for Kenya to visit Gujarat and I had the opportunity to visit this company’s infrastructure projects,” Raila stated.
While narrating Adani's close ties with Modi's administration, Odinga exuded confidence in Adani Group's ability to deliver its mandate in the Public-Private Partnership deal reached with President William Ruto’s administration.
However, his sentiments have stirred wild reactions from leaders in India including congressmen and political analysts who have reportedly faulted the Asian country’s Prime Minister for unfairly prioritising Adani Group over other local companies.
In a brief statement, Pawan Khera, an Indian lawmaker, claimed that Adani Group began dominating critical projects in India since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime came into power.
According to the Congressman, Adani has dominated the country's headlines, particularly India's foreign policy for the last ten years. “This has been the story of India’s foreign policy for the last 10 years; By Adani, for Adani, of Adani,” commented Khera.
The lawmaker's sentiments were backed by the country's political analyst Shailesh Kushwaha who also took a swipe at Modi, claiming that Gautam Adani’s company was the greatest beneficiary of PM Modi's foreign visits.
Kushwaha further claimed that most projects presided over by Adani outside India, whether in the neighbourhood or further afield, were announced within months of the Prime Minister's visit to the foreign country or during a meeting with other Heads of State.
"Adani Group is getting the biggest benefit from Modi ji's foreign visit. Most Adani projects outside India, whether in the neighbourhood or further afield, were announced within months of Modi visiting the country or meeting its head of state," commented the Indian political analyst.
"Prime Minister Modi is working as Adani’s agent in foreign countries - first, it was disclosed by a Sri Lankan government official, now by Kenya’s former Prime Minister," claimed Ashok Swain, a Professor of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University in Sweden.
Meanwhile, Odinga's sentiments similarly attracted heated debate locally with a section of Kenyans faulting the former Prime Minister for colluding with the government despite an initial promise to stand with the general public.
