Adani’s JKIA Proposal Approved in Just 17 Days

The Indian conglomerate Adani Group revealed that its proposal to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) for a feasibility study was approved in just 17 days, as stated by Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka.

A feasibility study assesses the viability of a project, determining if it can be successfully executed.

Senator Onyonka raised concerns during a Senate Roads and Transportation Committee meeting, questioning how such a brief period could suffice for a project of this magnitude. The committee was grilling Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir.

Documents submitted to the committee showed that the government has initiated a due diligence process to evaluate Adani Limited’s technical and financial capability. Despite this, Chirchir clarified that no final agreement had been signed.

Onyonka also pointed to disagreements among KAA board members regarding the 30-year concession to Adani, expressing concerns about the speed of the process and the possible involvement of government officials in pushing the deal forward.

“There were suggestions that our airport, valued at 1.2 trillion shillings, could be leased for just 136 billion shillings over 35 years. Was it not apparent, Waziri, that some government officials might have a vested interest in this deal?” Onyonka asked.

In response, Chirchir defended the timeline, explaining that much of the due diligence was conducted remotely, leveraging previous case studies. He also noted that while a “Head of Terms” agreement had been reached to outline negotiation points, it remains non-binding.

Chirchir emphasized, “We haven’t signed any final agreements yet. We are currently conducting stakeholder consultations and due diligence, which will inform the final concession agreement.”

Despite this explanation, legislators such as Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, and Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka continued to challenge Chirchir, accusing high-level government officials of favoring Adani in the 30-year lease deal for the airport.