Esther Passaris Backs Adani’s Management Deal for JKIA
Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris has expressed her support for Adani Group’s proposed takeover of the management of JKIA airport.
During a media briefing, Passaris emphasized that the government needs to be transparent about the project and engage the public in discussions.
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“I hope we can find a resolution. As a government, we should be willing to have an open dialogue. Kenyans also need to understand what the Adani Group is offering. I’ve been to Ahmedabad Airport for medical reasons, and it was developed by Adani. Four years ago, it was a subpar airport; now, it’s a five-star facility. One major challenge we face is that whenever a tender is awarded, multiple parties show interest in that same contract,” Passaris stated.
She added, “The government should clearly communicate the details of the investment to help the public understand the extent of Adani’s involvement at the airport.”
The strike over this issue, which has been brewing for weeks, was prompted by a notice from the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) on August 12, opposing the proposed lease of JKIA to the Indian conglomerate Adani Group.
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This notice followed unsuccessful negotiations between the union and government officials. KAWU Secretary-General Moss Ndiema expressed concerns that the agreement could result in significant job losses, the hiring of foreign workers, and poorer working conditions.
Additionally, KAWU demanded the resignation of the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) Board of Directors and three senior managers, citing incompetence and poor handling of the leasing process.
There was a temporary pause when KAWU announced a seven-day strike postponement on August 31, after KAA partially agreed to release some requested documents. However, the situation escalated again shortly thereafter.
With no significant progress from KAA, the unionized workers resumed their protests ten days later. KAWU made it clear they would only consider halting the strike if the proposed sale of JKIA was completely scrapped and if the KAA board and managers stepped down as demanded.
The union argued that their drastic actions were due to the government’s failure to provide the necessary documentation. The strike follows a recent High Court decision to temporarily suspend the proposed lease of the airport.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) have challenged the deal, stating that the 30-year lease to the Indian firm is unreasonable and violates principles of good governance, accountability, transparency, and prudent management of public resources.
Under the proposed Ksh246 billion agreement, the Adani Group would upgrade the airport by building a second runway and a new passenger terminal under a 30-year build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.
The company would also be responsible for renovations, refurbishments, and managing JKIA, which is Kenya’s largest and East Africa’s busiest airport.
The government has defended the deal, arguing that JKIA is operating beyond its designed capacity of 7.5 million passengers per year and urgently needs upgrades. They also pointed out that modernizing JKIA would cost $2 billion, a budget the government currently cannot afford.
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