Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has expressed his disappointment that the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) expansion contract with the Indian conglomerate Adani Group did not go through.
The Adani Group was set to invest KSh 238 billion in upgrading and expanding JKIA, but the contract was canceled by President William Ruto after immense pressure and resistance.
Speaking during the Third National Executive Retreat at the KCB Leadership Centre in Kajiado, Raila said the cancellation, which he said was mainly pushed by political interference, was a shortsighted decision.
"When we brought in the Adani, they brought all this politics and then the contract was cancelled. I was very disappointed, that was very unfortunate," said Raila.He regretted that Nairobi might lose its status as East Africa’s leading aviation hub to Ethiopia and Rwanda, both of which are rapidly upgrading their infrastructure.
"Look at Addis Ababa. They're going and now they're putting up a new big airport. So Addis Ababa is going to be the hub around. Ethiopian Airlines is the dominant airline now on the continent. Kenya Airways can do the same," he added.