In his scathing speech on the state of the nation, which was delivered at the Parliament, President Ruto ordered some swift changes to some of the most controversial developments in the health and infrastructure sectors following months of public outcry.
Members of parliament were among his ardent supporters who went on a rant on social media and media screens, telling internet users that the president pays attention to their concerns.
But even after citizens threatened to protest, the health issues and Gautam Adani’s agreement with the government to upgrade the KJIA and power supply had been largely ignored for months.
Despite their claimed independence as the legislative branch of the government, parliament appears to have lost the legitimacy and will to oppose the president for the second time in 2024.
This was initially demonstrated when lawmakers overwhelmingly backed the controversial Finance Bill 2024, disregarding important concerns expressed by Kenyans and experts, on the grounds that it would negatively impact the country’s economy.
The entire bill was repudiated a week later as a result of the protests on June 25, 2024, which became the deciding factor. Parliamentarians, however, failed to demonstrate their state of independence and legitimacy following President Ruto’s decision to cancel the entire Finance Bill 2024. They all applauded the president for taking the right direction on that.
The lawmakers were again put on the litmus paper when they gave the president a standing ovation, following the cancellation of Adani deals, which most of them threw an overwhelming support on. A section of Kenyans have described MPs as the darling of the executive wing of government.
The months that preceded the public revelation of the highly secret agreements pertaining to Adani’s acquisition of JKIA became a blazing iron for Ruto’s administration. Nelson Amenya, a diaspora resident, voiced concerns about the Adani Group’s reputation as a public-private partnership (PPP) contractual partner in the thirty-year planned lease of JKIA.
The Adani-government agreement became the fulcrum of demonstrations in August, as citizens threatened to occupy the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) while accusing the government of auctioning the most iconic infrastructure to an unscrupulous billionaire.
Two CS officials, leading the most critical ministries (Infrastructure and Treasury), wouldn’t listen either, as their continued obstinacy regarding Adani’s reputation kept the deal gyrating. Raila Odinga, a veteran politician, eying the AU Commission Chairperson position, debunked the stains, claiming that Adani has a meritable track record, as his reputable forthcomings could be traced back to Gujarat, India, where Adani has been hailed as the pinnacle of development.
Raila also claimed to have worked with Adani Group during his tenure as the First Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya. This gave the government the needed greenlight to continue the agreement, as Raila had long been perceived as a reputable leader with a throbbing finality whenever he spoke by his diehard supporters.
Despite the undisputable public outcry and court litigation, the government wouldn’t listen yet. President Ruto once, while in Mombasa, claimed that he’s not man to sell the airport, as the expeditious process was needed to clear the deal—a gateway for upgrading the JKIA to meet international standards.
A go-slow work in progress by Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) JKIA-based workers would swing into action days after clarity on the matter turned futile. The paralysis of operations at the airport hit harder, affecting travellers and forcing international flights to divert to neighboring countries. Kisumu and Moi International Airport workers also made a quick rejoinder in support of the counterparts at the JKIA, who feared losing jobs to Indian foreigners.
Nelson Amenya, the whistleblower, is currently facing legal challenge in a French-based court—a petition filed by Adani-led and partner legal team over reputation damage. He’s since been requesting legal coverup fee support through the GoFundMe portal and Mpesa, and Kenyans have been compassionate a bit.
He’s been elated by netizens as the hero of the 21st century, following President Ruto’s direction to have the Adani deal on the lease of JKIA and the agreement with Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO) to expand power supply through the construction of new transmission lines and substations, worth $736 million.
The Controversial Cancellation of Adani-Government Deals
The head of state, while appearing in Parliament to deliver the highly doubted state of the nation address by Kenyans, ordered the cancellation of the Adani agreements—the JKIA and KETRACO. The agreement on KETRACO was, however, in its final stages of conclusion.
The Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Opiyo Wandayi, while appearing before the assembly committee on the same, just hours leading to the state of the nation address, did, however, throw the reputational allegations under the bus. This despite the indictment of Adani and seven other defendants at the New York Court.
I have stated in the past, and I reiterate today, that in the face of undisputed evidence or credible information, I will not hesitate to take decisive actions,” the president stated.
The president announced that the cancellation was a result of an accountability and transparency breach, which was in accordance with information from the partner nations and local government agencies.
“Accodingly, I now direct—in furtherance of the principles enshrined in Article 10 of the Constitution on transparency and accountability and based on new information provided by our investigative agencies and partner nations—that the procurement agencies within the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Energy & Petroleum immediately cancel the ongoing procurement process for the JKIA Expansion Public Private Partnership transaction, as well as the recently concluded KETRACO transmission line Public Private Partnership contract, and immediately commence the process of onboarding alternative partners,” he directed.
The second-richest man in Asia, Guatam Adani, India’s Adani Goup Chairperson, has been indicted in the US on a multi-billion-dollar scandal, reportedly worth more than $2 billion in profits.
Adani and seven other close associate officials were found guilty and charged for having paid Indian government officials $250 million in bribes to win a $2 billion-worth solar energy supply contract, which is against the company’s said compliance with the antibribery and anticoruption practices.
Adani Group and its subsidiaries have now lost the $2.5 billion-worth deals with the Ministry of Transport and Energy & Petroleum on the expansion of power transmission lines and the construction of JKIA. The head of state directed the ministries to onboard the alternative investors with immediate effect.
