Kenya cancels more than $2.5bn in deals with Adani after US indictment

The deals had been sharply criticised over lack of transparency and value for money.

Published On 21 Nov 202421 Nov 2024

Kenyan President William Ruto has ordered the cancellation of a procurement process that had been expected to award control of the country’s main airport to India’s Adani Group after its founder was indicted in the United States.

Ruto made the announcement on Thursday in his state of the nation address.

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Under the proposed deal worth nearly $2bn, the Adani Group was to add a second runway at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and upgrade the passenger terminal in exchange for a 30-year lease.

Ruto also said he was cancelling a separate 30-year, $736m public-private partnership that an Adani Group firm signed with the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum last month to construct power transmission lines.

“I have directed agencies within the Ministry of Transport and within the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum to immediately cancel the ongoing procurement,” Ruto said, attributing the decision to “new information provided by investigative agencies and partner nations”.

Ruto’s announcement was met with thunderous applause and cheers from lawmakers in parliament, where he gave his address. The deals have drawn sharp criticism from many politicians and members of the public over concerns about a lack of transparency and value for money.