Sunday Shocker As Raila Comes Out to Defend Adani

Raila on Sunday shocked Kenyans when he claimed that the Indian billionaire has a clean record of accountability and completing projects despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Collage of Adani (foreground), Raila in the middle and bodyguard (background). Photo | DalanewsKE

In a press release the former Prime Minister has stated that critics are fuelling unfounded fears around proposed Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) for the modernisation of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Kenya’s power transmission sector.

“When I was the Prime Minister of Kenya, I was introduced to Adani by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then Chief Minister for Gujarat,” said the veteran politician. He then proceeded to give the Adani Group a clean bill of health saying in Gujarat he witnessed firsthand as they turned a swamp into a bustling port, power plant, and industrial hub.

He also claimed that the group turned a collapsing airport into a world-class facility.

“Adani is a credible partner,” said Raila, adding “They have proven their capabilities in projects that surpass what we have seen in East Africa.”

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Photo | AFP

Raila, however, cautioned that although the Kenyan legal framework for Private Public Partnerships (PPP) borrowed heavily on the Indian model, there was need to safeguard national interests, such as labour laws, environmental protection, and Kenyan courts’ jurisdiction in the event disputes arise.

“If we scare away investors like Adani, we risk stalling critical infrastructure development at a time when our neighbors are pulling ahead,” he warned.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) had separately raised concerns on the prudence of privatising a national asset such as Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. They contended that the proposed privatisation risks transfering a significant proportion of JKIA’s profit revenue to Adani.

The proposal further states that the project will be undertaken over 30 years on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) agreement, following which the airport will be returned to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA).

The critics argue that the Kenyan government has got the capacity to upgrade the airport over a similar timescale if accountability is observed.

Power grid. Photo | Shutterstock

The Indian conglomerate is proposing to invest approximately $1.84 billion to expand and modernise Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) besides showing interest in the electricity sector.

There have been unfounded claims on social media that powerful individuals may have a stake in the proposed JKIA takeover. Raila’s support, belated as it comes, only goes to confirm that there may be some credibility to the rumours.