The High Court was on Thursday forced to adjourn its hearing of a case involving Adani Group Limited temporarily after Kenyans stormed the virtual courtroom, disrupting the session.
Several Kenyans reportedly sneaked into the virtual court proceedings after accessing details of the online court session and began shouting "Adani Must Go! JKIA is not for sale," prompting the judge to intervene.
Despite Justice Andrew Mwamunye's attempts to call the session into order, his efforts hit the rocks, forcing him to halt the proceedings. The judge announced that an appropriate time to reconvene would be announced in due course.
"I understand your protests and I am unable to deliver this judgment now," the judge said before adjourning the court session for about fifteen minutes.
Prior to the adjournment, the court had commenced its ruling on the petition filed by activist Tony Gachoka and a group of lawyers where the National Treasury and Adani are the respondents.
Tony Gachoka in his petition which he filed before the High Court alongside a group of lawyers in September this year, challenged the government's decision to lease the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the Indian conglomerate.
In his suit, Gachoka argued that the Public-Private agreement between President William Ruto's administration and Adani was reached without adequate public participation.
The petitioners further argued that the country's main airport was the flagship project of the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and that leasing it to an Indian company owned by a private citizen contravened the law.
"The airport is a national heritage and the pride of the people of Kenya. It is a national symbol of our sovereignty that goes to the sacred soul of our nation as envisioned and envisaged under Article I of our constitution," Gachoka argued.
In March this year, Adani Group Limited submitted a proposal to the Kenyan government, seeking to take over the running and management of the JKIA for the next thirty years.
Three months later, the government approved the relevant aviation policies, granting Adani Group the head start to expand and renovate the country's largest airport. The deal which would last for thirty years sparked outrage from Kenyans particularly aviation workers who staged demonstrations.
However, the High Court in September issued conservatory orders, stopping the government from entering into a deal with Adani Group until the case before the court was heard and determined.
