Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has come to the defence of the government’s decision to lease the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the Adani Group.
Speaking to the media at JKIA, Passaris said Kenyans need to understand what the Adani Group is going to do at the airport.
“I have been to Ahmedabad Airport in India several times and it has been done by the Adani Group. The first time I went to the airport four years ago it was a mediocre airport. Today it is a five-star airport,” she said.
Passaris who was hoping to catch a flight to Johannesburg, South Africa for the Pan-African Parliament meeting which starts on Monday, expressed hopes the ongoing strike at the airport over the Adani deal would end soon.
“That is why we had the Government Spokesman come in to break down everything so the people understand everything. How much money are they going to put in refurbishing the airport, what are they going to do for the terminals, are we going to have an airport as good as the one we have in Dubai,” she said.
Hundreds of passengers have been stranded at Kenya’s main airport after workers went on strike over a planned takeover by the Indian company.
The High Court has since issued a stay prohibiting any person from implementing or acting on the privately initiated Adani proposal over JKIA pending the conclusion of the case.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) moved to court to block the controversial takeover of JKIA by India’s Adani Enterprises.
Adani Enterprises Limited submitted a proposal on March 1, 2024, to take over the running and management of JKIA.
In June, the government approved the relevant aviation policies, giving Adani a head start on the planned expansion of JKIA.
The privatisation deal, which would grant Adani control of the airport for 30 years, ignited widespread public outrage over its secrecy and potential consequences.
Adani has pledged a Sh238 billion investment to "upgrade and expand" the airport.
