Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has dismissed reports claiming that the government intends to sell Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to foreign investors. These reports have recently dominated Kenyan media platforms, leading to planned protests at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport(JKIA) on Tuesday.
Mudavadi informed the National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee that selling such a high-value asset requires public memoranda and parliamentary approval.
“The airport is not on sale. This is a public asset, a strategic asset. If it was going to be sold, you can only do it after a full public process that parliament endorses,” Mudavadi said on Monday.
The Prime CS stated that, instead of a sale, there are plans to modernize the airport and build a new terminal.
“The Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) must carefully review its investment program and ensure complete transparency. During the expansion process of the second terminal, it should adhere to legal procedures so that everyone is informed about the developments,” he added.
Mudavadi urged KAA to ensure that the PPP arrangement is conducted properly and thoroughly through the legal process, so that every Kenyan is informed about the proceedings.
“But I want to assure Kenyans that the JKIA is not for sale,” he emphasized.
This comes after Kisii Senator Onyoka demanded answers from Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) to clarify its involvement in a reported controversial agreement with Adani Airport Holdings Limited, an Indian firm, to lease Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Petitioning the Senate Committee on Roads and Transport, Onyonka sought a statement regarding the purported deal with Adani, which would see JKIA operated under a build, operate, and transfer model.
“We are signing off our airport to be run by a private company for 30 years, and after the contract expires, they will retain 18 percent equity in our airport. Why would anyone sign such an agreement?” the senator questioned, citing an unnamed French whistleblower.
