The deal, which involved a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), was meant to improve the airport and manage it for 30 years.
The project promised to bring a world-class upgrade to the facility, but it was halted recently, causing a divide among the public.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the DEVKI Iron Processing Project in Manga on December 3, 2024, Ruto criticized those who were happy about the cancellation of the deal.
He said that many of the critics probably had never been inside an airport and didn’t understand the need for improvement.
He pointed out that the current state of JKIA was poor, with parts of it housed in tents and others in disrepair.
He compared the condition of the airport to modern, state-of-the-art airports being built in other countries.
Ruto expressed frustration with the way people were celebrating the stopping of the project without offering any alternative solutions.
He said, “What gain is there in stopping the building of an airport in your own country? And you have no alternative plan; you have no ideas about how to build an airport.”
He emphasized that those opposing the deal had no experience or knowledge of how to improve the airport or how such projects should be managed.
The president also called for Kenyans to be more patriotic. He reminded the public that Kenya has no other country to turn to and that the country’s progress should be a priority for everyone.
He said, “We do not have an alternative country; we don’t have a spare country. We must be patriots and defend our country.”
Ruto also expressed concern about the tendency to criticize any initiative, even those that involve foreign investors.
He pointed out that investors who trusted Kenya with their money were being unfairly criticized, while those who didn’t contribute to the country’s development remained silent.
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