Nelson Amenya, the whistleblower who gained national attention for revealing details of the controversial Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) deal with Indian investment firm Adani Group, has sounded the alarm over an alleged new arrangement between the government and a company in the Middle East.
The whistleblower, who has been under the radar in recent months, emerged with explosive sentiments as he claimed there were plans by the government to hand over control and rights of a key airport to a firm from Dubai.
Without naming the company, Amenya further speculated that the Adani Group, which had previously been embroiled in a now-cancelled airport and power infrastructure deal, could be behind the alleged arrangement.
More sensationally, Amenya also alleged that the government planned to use the Kenyan taxpayer as a guarantee for the investment.
"The Kenyan government is planning to give the airport to some company in Dubai (being a tax haven, it could be Adani behind it) and will use the country’s balance sheet as a sovereign guarantee," Amenya alleged.
While questioning the government's motives, Amenya doubled down on his claims by questioning why there was a need to guarantee the investment if it was legitimate.
“If a company has the money and they believe the airport is a worthy investment, why would they need taxpayers to underwrite the deal?” he posed.
Amenya earned plaudits nationwide after he somehow gained access to crucial documents detailing little-known particulars of the government's plan to lease JKIA to an Indian conglomerate, Adani Airport Holdings Limited.
The 30-year-old disclosed in 2024 that he received documents about the multi-billion-shilling deal from credible sources within government departments.
Since his exposé, Adani came under intense scrutiny from Kenyans, and President William Ruto eventually cut the cord on the deal after it emerged that key transparency considerations had been violated.
Ruto's announcement on the Kenya-Adani deal came less than a day after the company's directors were indictment in an ongoing case at the United States of America's federal court over a Ksh32 billion graft allegation.
Interestingly, Amenya's latest allegations come in the wake of reports that Kenya has secured a loan worth Ksh193 billion from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which carries a reported interest rate of 8.2 per cent. The loan was expected to be disbursed in February 2025.
