- Speaking on Saturday in Nairobi, Kalonzo cited trust deficit on the side of the government saying the deal is shrouded in secrecy.
- Kalonzo appeared to be reading from the same script as senators who on Friday opposed the proposed takeover of JKIA and called for the deal to be cancelled.
Image: KALONZO MUSYOKA/X
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka now says the government should abandon the proposed takeover of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Indian-based Adani Group.
Speaking on Saturday in Nairobi, Kalonzo cited trust deficit on the side of the government saying the deal is shrouded in secrecy.
“Under Vision 2030, President Mwai Kibaki and ourselves had wanted a second runway, we were not going to come and do some secret deal over JKIA. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is a very important national asset and there must be proper, open conversation,” he said.
The Adani deal come to public knowledge throw a whistleblower.
The former Vice President added that besides the deal appearing to be secretive, the Kenya Kwanza government was at fault to settle on Adani through single sourcing.
“This is single sourcing which is contrary to the law of openness and transparency. You cannot operate in secrecy. I have seen the CS in charge of Transport saying in response to the protests, we are now going to do public participation. Withdraw the whole damn thing!” Kalonzo said.
Kalonzo appeared to be reading from the same script as senators who on Friday opposed the proposed takeover of JKIA and called for the deal to be cancelled.
The Senate had summoned Transport and Roads CS Davis Chirchir to shed light on the deal following outcry from Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) workers who had expressed fear that they might lose their jobs if the deal goes through.
Chirchir presented to the Senate Committee on Transport details of the concession agreement.
The senators expressed fear that the privately initiated proposal by the Adani Group to refurbish the JKIA and run it for 30 years could be a conduit to embezzle funds.
They also raised integrity concerns over the company and the manner in which the whole takeover process was being conducted away from the public eye.
"Pure manipulation, comanship, self aggrandisement, greed and corruption; lethergy of the people who want to perpetuate illegality," Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said.
"Who was the minister who should be answering these questions? Is it you or the minister for Finance? You are a stranger in this proceedings,” Busia Senator Okiyah Omtatah said.
Ledama Olekina said: "Why Adani and not government of Kenya? Someone would conclude the deal is done because you've indicated clearly that there's a team currently in India carrying out due dilligence."
Olekina further questioned why the government was willing to risk leasing a Sh1.1 trillion national asset for a meagre Sh230 billion.
In response, Chirchir said the deal hasn’t gone through yet and what has been fronted by the investor is nothing more than a proposal.
"It's a proposal and not a contract; 23 million capacity, new passenger terminal," the CS said, adding that the takeover deal is presently at "stakeholder engagement and drafting" stage.
Chirchir was appearing before the committee for the second time after being turned away on Thursday for showing up without documentation on the Adani deal.
Provision of the documents was one of the irreducible minimums striking airport workers demanded before agreeing to call off their strike on Wednesday after paralysing operations at the JKIA the entire day.
They said they would retreat and spend the next 10 working days going through the documents before returning for another meeting whose outcome will determine the way forward.
The workers affiliated to the Kenya Airport Workers Union (Kawu) further demanded that there will be no victimisation of workers over the strike and that the court case against the union to be withdrawn.
In meeting mediated by Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli at JKIA on Wednesday, the union and the government also agreed that neither the government nor the Kenya Aairports Authority (KAA) would sign any deal with Adani Group without concurrence with the Kenya Aviation Workers Union.