Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Cabinet Secretary (CS) nominee Kipchumba Murkomen has clarified on the deal involving Indian company Adani Airport Holdings Limited and the government of Kenya over the upgrading of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Murkomen was speaking on Saturday, August 3, 2024, while appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Appointments during his vetting.
The CS nominee was cornered by Committee member and National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah, who asked him to shed light on the JKIA deal which has led to uproar from Kenyans.
Murkomen went on to explain the deal between the government and the Indian firm, saying that it is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and not necessarily selling the airport.
“PPP is a very important concept of developing our infrastructure. I want to very clear to the people of Kenya, I have not and do not have the capacity to enter into any PPP as a person or as a Cabinet Secretary, and I have not in any way sold the airport,” said Murkomen.
Further, Murkomen stressed that the people of Kenya need to be taken through the process of the Public Private Partnership to avoid confusions.
Murkomen Speaks on JKIA Deal Between Govt & Indian Firm
The CS nominee highlighted that the case of Adani is a Privately Initiated Proposal (PIP) which is part of the PPP, adding that the project is not the first of its kind in the country.
Also Read: Murkomen Apologizes After Nomination to Ruto’s Cabinet
“The case of JKIA is a Privately Initiated Proposal (PIP) which is part of the PPP and is not the first one. The first PIP in this country was the Nairobi Expressway. The Expressway was as a result of PIP, the government evaluated it and gave proposals,” added Murkomen.
In addition, the nominee said that a PIP undergoes a process before the deal is finally sealed, pointing out processes such as the initial proposal, evaluation, public participation and even approval by other factions including the National Treasury.
Murkomen while assuring Kenyans that JKIA will not be sold to foreigners necessitated that the deal will be a win for the country.
“I want to assure the people of Kenya that your assets are safe, your airport is safe, JKIA is safe. When this process sails through and I hope it advances, we will get to a point where the product we get is going to benefit the people of Kenya,” he remarked.
JKIA Deal Involving Indian Firm
Murkomen’s clarification comes after Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) Musalia Mudavadi also maintained that the government has not agreed on terms with Adani Airport Holdings amid speculations of intentions to sell JKIA to the private investor.
Also Read: Fresh Hurdle for Govt as Kenyan Moves to Court Over JKIA Upgrade Deal
Mudavadi in a statement published on the Tuesday dailies confirmed that the government is reviewing the proposal which was submitted by the Indian firm under the PPP in March 2024.
However, the proposal by Adani Airport Holdings Limited to upgrade JKIA has since been thrown into limbo following a petition by a Kenyan who moved to court seeking to stop the deal.
In a petition filed at the Milimani Law Courts, Isack Lango Guyo asked the court to nullify all proceedings and agreement related to the project by Adani.
The petitioner pointed out that the lack of transparency, accountability and exclusion of the public from the transaction is a serious violation of the constitution.
According to him, the project at the JKIA is marred by severe breaches of the constitution as there was no public participation in the project.
“That this court declares the entire transaction including the privately initiated proposed by Adani Project Holdings and all the attendant processes related thereto as unconstitutional, null and void,” reads court papers.
The petitioner on the other hand in the petition was seeking for the government to be stopped from pursuing future PPPs relating to JKIA or any other strategic national asset.
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