Wi[er leadr Kalonzo Musyoka speaks in Nairobi on Saturdat, September 14, 2024.....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka now says the government should abandon the proposed takeover of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Indian-based Adani Group.
Speaking on Saturday in Nairobi, Kalonzo cited trust deficit on the side of the government saying the deal is shrouded in secrecy.
“Under Vision 2023, President Mwai Kibaki and ourselves had wanted a second runway, we were not going to come and do some secret deal over JKIA. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is a very important national asset and there must be proper, open conversation,” he said.
The former Vice President added that besides the deal appearing to be secretive, the Kenya Kwanza government was at fault to settle on Adani through single sourcing.
“This is single sourcing which is contrary to the law of openness and transparency. You cannot operate in secrecy. I have seen the CS in charge of Transport saying in response to the protests, we are now going to do public participation. Withdraw the whole damn thing!” Kalonzo said.
Kalonzo appeared to be reading from the same script as senators who on Friday opposed the proposed takeover of JKIA and called for the deal to be cancelled.
The Senate had summoned Transport and Roads CS davis Chirchir to shade light on the deal following outcry from Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) workers who had expressed fear that they might lose their jobs if the deal goes through.
Chirchir presented to the Senate Committee on Transport details of the concession agreement.
The senators expressed fears that the privately initiated proposal by the Adani Group to refurbish the JKIA and run it for 30 years could be a conduit to embezzle funds.
“What you are confronting us with is a concealment of fraud where a public project is being used to repatriate money that has been stolen from Kenya,” Busia Senator Okiyah Omtatah said.
Chirchir said the deal hasn’t gone through yet and what has been fronted by the investor is nothing more than a proposal.
“It’s a proposal and not a contract. 23 million capacity, new passenger terminal. Present stage — stakeholder engagement and drafting.”
The CS was appearing before the committee for the second time after being turned away on Thursday for showing up withoutdocumentation on the Adani deal.
Provision of the documents was one of the irreducible minimums striking airport workers demanded before agreeing to call off their strike on Wednesday after paralysing operations at the JKIA the entire day.
They said they would retreat and spend the next 10 working days going through the documents before returning for another meeting whose outcome will determine the way forward.
The workers affiliated to the Kenya Airport Workers Union (Kawu) further demanded that there will be no victimisation of workers over the strike and that the court case against the union to be withdrawn.
In meeting mediated by Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli at JKIA on Wednesday, the union and the government also agreed that neither the g overnment nor the Kenya Aairports Authority (KAA) would sign any deal with Adani Group without concurrence with the Kenya Aviation Workers Union….CLICK HERE FOR MORE ARTICLE>>>
