National Treasury CS John Mbadi has defended the government’s decision not to enter into a contract with Adani Group following bribery allegations against their CEO, Gautam Adani.
Speaking to the press on Saturday, November 23, in Kisumu, Mbadi clarified that Adani’s proposal was a Privately Initiated Proposal (PIP), which can be terminated at any stage before signing a contract.
“The Adani procurement system was a PIP which can be terminated at any time at any stage so long as you have not signed the contract. And if another person comes with a better deal, you will even drop the one you are pursuing and get another one.”
He emphasized that the government is open to investors interested in the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) project and encouraged them to approach and engage with the government.
“We are still open to any other investor out there who wants to invest by partnering with the government to develop JKIA because we must. There are so many investors out there. We invite them to come over and engage with us,” Mbadi stated.
Mbadi also defended Raila Odinga, who had remarked that the Adani deal was initiated when he served as Prime Minister.
“I think what Raila said is that Adani has done some projects in some places and can be seen like in Mumbai where they have done an excellent airport. We can’t know whether they were corrupt because we don’t stay in India,” he said.
Also Read: Adani Group CFO Clarifies Deal That Led to Indictment in the US
Why Govt Missed the Bribery Claims
The CS added that the Adani Group failed to disclose crucial information regarding the allegations, preventing the government from learning about the bribery accusations raised by the US government.
“Now that there were special investigations by the US government, and they have discovered there was bribery, the best action for any responsible government is to terminate any other dealings with such an entity.
“If someone does not disclose material facts about themselves, how would you know that they have bribed people elsewhere? You can’t tell.”
Also Read: India Demands Adani to Reveal Ruto’s Impact After Deal Cancellation
Mbadi on the State of JKIA
Mbadi stressed the importance of maintaining JKIA as a leading economic hub in the region, noting that the airport’s current state is inadequate to compete regionally.
“JKIA is now outdated and dilapidated. It is not an airport that can compete with others in the region. Kenya has been leading in the region as the economic hub. We must maintain that by maintaining the airport,” he noted.
While cancelling the deal, President William Ruto directed relevant government procurement offices to immediately commence the process of onboarding alternative partners.
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