President William Ruto, DP Kithure Kindiki and ODM Party leader Raila Odinga during the second day of National Executive Retreat. Photo: William Ruto X.
Almost a year when President William Ruto ordered cancellation of the controversial Adani deals on Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA0 and KETRACO, former prime minister Raila Odinga has spoken about the issue.
Speaking during the second day of the National Executive Retreat in Kajiado County, Odinga said that the cancellation of the contract was unfortunate, despite the move to include Artificial Intelligence (AI), to increase efficiency in the operations of the Airport.
According to him, the prestigious status enjoyed by Kenya has been taken up by the Ethiopian Airlines who are currently the dominant in the continent, after the South African Airline went down. With Ethiopia building a new Airport, Odinga stated that it will remain the continent’s hub, as Nairobi remains dormant following the cancellation.
“I was very disappointed when you were not able to move on with the airport contract. That was really unfortunate. Nairobi will just be dormant, if that is not done, Ethiopian Airline is going to be the hub around, it is the dominant airline in the continent, which Kenya Airways can do, because South African Airline went down, but we are not doing it,” Odinga remarked.
He further stated that the same politics that led to the cancellation of the Adani Group to renovate JKIA, was seen while he was still in late president Mwai Kibaki’s government, where the contract with Greenfield was cancelled twice after disagreement, which he says is costing the nations’ airline losing its prestige to Addis Ababa.
“Before we left government, we were awarded the Greenfield contract with Kibaki in 2012. That contract was canceled twice may because of disagreement. When they brought the Adani Deal, they also brought politics and then the contract was cancelled,” he further remarked.
In November 2024, following public outrage and calls to occupy the JKIA, President William Ruto during his state of the Nation directed the Cabinet Secretaries of Roads and public Works, and Energy, to cancel all contractors with the controversial Indian Group.
