The Motorists Association of Kenya has called on former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to retract his support for the defunct Adani deal and instead respect the will of the Kenyan people.
The Association, on Saturday, June 21, accused Odinga of betraying public trust by endorsing controversial Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) such as the Adani deal.
According to the motorists, the deal was exploitative and was rightly rejected by Kenyans through sustained outcry and civic engagement. Supporting it, they argued, undermined national sovereignty.
In their statement, the motorists labelled the now-cancelled PPP agreement with the Indian conglomerate as part of the cleverly disguised schemes to surrender vital national assets to foreign multinational interests under the guise of progress.
"Every intelligent and patriotic Kenyan understands the danger posed by many of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) deals currently being pursued and sealed," read part of a statement by the Association.
"In truth, long-term concessions, often spanning 30 years or more, are typically imposed on countries that have defaulted on loan repayments. Kenya is not in default," it added.
While criticising the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, the motorists noted that it was disappointing to witness Raila, a leader who once inspired hope for justice and equity, sympathising with imperialistic concessions.
"We therefore call upon Raila Odinga to reconsider his stance and to side with the people who once marched alongside him in pursuit of freedom, equity, and dignity," the motorists demanded.
They added, "His legacy need not be tarnished by association with unjust deals that sell our national assets to the highest bidder. The struggle for economic liberation continues."
The Motorists Association's statement came a day after the former Prime Minister expressed regret over the cancellation of the Adani deal that was meant for the expansion of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Odinga, who spoke on the second day of the executive retreat, noted that the country was at a critical stage where the leadership must rise above crowd-pleasing rhetoric and make tough decisions in the best interest of the nation.
“I was very disappointed when we were not able to move on with the (Adani) airport contract. When Adani was brought in, there was all that politicking that resulted in its cancellation,” he asserted.
“If development around the airport is not done, Nairobi could end up becoming dormant,” he added.
