Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, on Friday, June 20, expressed his disappointment over the cancellation of the Adani deal, stating that Kenya could have become a hub of development.
Speaking during the 3rd National Executive Retreat in Karen, Raila voiced his regret over the failed JKIA-Adani project in particular, noting that repeated failures of planned development at Kenya’s largest airport could hinder progress.
“I was very disappointed when we were not able to move on with the (Adani) airport contract. When Adani was brought in, they was all that politicking that resulted in its cancellation,” Raila stated.
“If development around the airport is not done, Nairobi could end up becoming dormant,” he further asserted.
The former Prime Minister contrasted Kenya’s situation with Ethiopia, citing plans to construct a major airport in the capital, Addis Ababa. He described the move as a strong signal of Ethiopia’s intent to become the central hub for East Africa and the wider African continent.
“Ethiopian Airlines is now the dominant airline on the continent. Kenya Airways can be the same. Kenya Airways can also be the continent’s national carrier,” he argued.
According to Raila, having a robust and developed airport network would be key in creating a ‘vehicle’ to bring investors, tourists, and shoppers into the country.
In the past, Raila had expressed support for the Adani deal, terming Adani a ‘credible partner.’
He cited Kenya's economic struggles as a key reason for embracing a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the Indian firm.
Under the deal, Kenya, through the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), was to lease JKIA to Adani for the development, expansion, operation, maintenance, and management of the airport under a 30-year concession arrangement.
The JKIA and KETRACO deals with Adani were cancelled in November 2024 by President William Ruto, who cited a violation of the agreement after credible information linking Adani to corruption emerged.
Ruto’s announcement came a day after Gautam Adani, the billionaire owner of Adani, and several company directors were indicted by a United States federal court over a Ksh32 billion graft allegation.
Gautam Adani, the group CEO, along with seven other executives in the multibillion-dollar company, was indicted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in New York for allegedly bribing Indian government officials.
According to the indictment, the Adani Group had, for years, bribed officials to mislead US investors and obtain green energy supply contracts for its Adani Green subsidiary.
