Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir faced intense questioning from the Senate Transport Committee after failing to provide documents related to the controversial Adani-JKIA lease deal.
Chirchir had declined to comment on the matter, citing it as sub judice, which did not sit well with the senators.
The committee members, led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, demanded clarity on whether the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) had entered into a deal with Adani Commercial Limited to lease Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) under a build-and-operate model.
“I also want you to address you to a preliminary concern that I have personally, if a letter is dispatched from the Senate on the sixth of August, 2024 pursuant to a request dated 25th July, 2024 and you confirm that you’ve received it on the sixth of August, 2024 at your ministry, how is it possible that even today, when you walk in, you don’t have any of the documents we have requested?” paused Sifuna.
The Senators had requested the Cabinet Secretary to submit documents outlining the deal, including details of the tender process, the selection criteria, and the ownership structure of Adani.
“We have not entered into any deal with them. What we are doing is we are just reviewing a proposal,” Chirchir told the committee.
The CS will appear before the committee on Friday 13, 2024 once the documents have been submitted.
