Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

- ODM party leader Raila Odinga has expressed disappointment over the decision to cancel a major airport expansion contract with Indian conglomerate Adani Group.

Expressing deep regret, Raila warned that Nairobi risks losing its status as East Africa’s leading aviation hub.

During the Third National Executive Retreat at the KCB Leadership Centre in Kajiado, Raila said Kenya’s strategic location should naturally position it as the continent’s gateway.

However, the former prime minister lamented that political interference had derailed the critical infrastructure project.

"Kenya is very strategically situated where we are. We are very fortunate. Kenya can become a hub, a big hub. I was very disappointed when we were not able to move on with the airport contract. That was really very unfortunate," Raila stated.

Raila, a long-time backer of public-private partnerships, said the cancellation was a shortsighted decision.

Despite the protests against the deal, the former premier underscored that the cancellation was driven more by political sentiment than objective assessment.

"Then now when we brought in the Adani, they brought all this politics and then the contract was cancelled," he stated.

He recalled that the same airport expansion project had been awarded and cancelled multiple times since 2012, when it was first initiated under the Grand Coalition Government with President Mwai Kibaki.

Raila warned that delays in expanding JKIA would cost Kenya its competitive edge to regional rivals like Ethiopia and Rwanda, both of which are rapidly upgrading their infrastructure.

"Look at Addis Ababa. They're going and now they're putting up a new big airport. So Addis Ababa is going to be the hub around. Ethiopian Airlines is the dominant airline now on the continent. Kenya Airways can do the same. Kenya Airways can be the carrier on the continent because South Africa went down. But we are not doing it," he added.

He argued that Kenya Airways, even if operating at a loss, could still serve as a key driver of tourism, trade, and investment, much like Emirates does for the UAE.

As earlier reported, the public-private partnership between the Kenyan government and the Adani Group to expand Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), was cancelled in 2024 following an executive directive from President William Ruto.

In his State of the Nation Address to Parliament on November 21, 2024, Ruto ordered the immediate cancellation of the Adani-JKIA deal, along with another contract involving Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO), citing concerns over corruption and the integrity of the Indian firm.

The decision came in the wake of corruption-related charges filed in the US against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, the founder of the Adani Group.

Ruto said the government could not proceed with any project tainted by credible allegations of impropriety.

Source: TUKO.co.ke