Adani Group: We Learned About JKIA's Poor Condition from Kenyan Media

The Adani Group, an Indian multinational, has revealed that it became aware of the poor state of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) through reports in Kenyan media.

The company made this statement in response to a petition filed by Davis Malombe, who questioned how Adani was able to submit a proposal to refurbish the airport before the government publicly advertised the project.

In an affidavit presented to the court, Alok Patni, a representative of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, explained that various articles in both print and online media in 2019 and 2020 brought attention to the issues at JKIA.

These reports highlighted numerous problems, including broken lavatories, a lack of clean water, congested waiting areas, frequent power outages, and faulty backup generators.

The reports also mentioned JKIA’s struggle to manage the growing number of passengers, which was placing more pressure on the already poor infrastructure.

Patni added that the media had also covered frequent protests by airport staff during this time. Workers raised concerns about their poor working environment, low pay, and inadequate infrastructure. The widespread reports drew attention to the urgent need for improvements at JKIA, which is the busiest airport in East Africa.

With an interest in improving airports and aviation infrastructure, Adani submitted a Privately Initiated Proposal (PiP) to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) on March 1, 2024. The proposal aims to address the challenges at JKIA and bring the airport up to international standards. 

Patni clarified that the project is still in the review and due diligence phase, with the necessary pre-approval documents, including tax compliance, already submitted.

Contrary to claims that JKIA has already been leased to Adani for 30 years, Patni dismissed these statements as premature and misleading. He emphasized that no decision has been made, and discussions are ongoing.

Adani urged the court to reject Malombe’s petition, stating that the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Petition Committee, created under the PPP Act, is the proper body to handle any disputes related to the PiP.

Furthermore, the company argued that Malombe had not exhausted the dispute resolution mechanisms before taking the matter to court.