Nelson Amenya, the whistle-blower behind the exposé on the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)-Adani deal, has dismissed claims that he was paid to expose it.
In response to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's claim that people were paid to jeopardise the deal, Amenya denied being used to drive Adani out of Kenya, emphasising that the exposé was independent and free from external influence.
Further, he disagreed with Raila’s assertion that the 30-year private leasing agreement would bring development to the nation.
Amenya cited the lack of a proper tendering process in awarding the deal to Adani as an example of the deal's lack of transparency.
“Nobody ever paid me to expose the deal for starters. Secondly, every single red flag I pointed out was true. If they really cared for the airport, why didn’t they do a proper tendering process?” Amenya quipped.
“JKIA remains one of the most profitable ports in Africa; it will attract competent bids, but as we all know, it is not about that!”
In the video, Raila hit out at critics of Adani for the second time, noting that the country had missed out on a great opportunity to have JKIA renovated to world-class standards.
“The airport was to stay here with us. They were not going to take it away. They were bringing their own money and were going to charge for 30 years so that the costs are not that high,” Raila noted.
Secretive Adai Deal
Amenya blew the whistle on the secretive JKIA-Adani deal in July 2024, revealing that Adani was to take control of the airport for 30 years under a private agreement. Amenya claimed he had received documents on the deal from credible sources in the government.
His revelation came three months after Kenya had received a proposal from the Adani Group to take over the running and management of JKIA for 30 years.
Three months later, President William Ruto's administration approved the relevant aviation policies, granting the Indian company permission for the planned revamp of the main airport.
The proposal included major investments in infrastructure, such as adding a second runway, expanding terminals, and modernizing facilities, at a reported cost of Ksh259 billion.
However, while exposing the deal, Amenya noted that he deal would have been unfair to Kenyans as it would have consumed much of taxpayers’ money without substantial returns. Also, he revealed that the deal would force Kenya to spend even more money if the Indian conglomerate failed to recoup its investments in the country.
According to him, aside from the unusual terms and lack of transparency in the deal, another cause for concern was the blatant disregard for the law in the implementation of the agreement.
The move sparked widespread outrage among Kenyans, particularly aviation workers, who protested the move, citing threats to their jobs.
After months of controversy over the agreement, President Ruto, on November 21, during a State of the Nation address, announced the cancellation of the deal.
