A HIGH Court in Kenya has temporarily stopped a proposed deal for India’s Adani Group to lease Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for 30 years. The decision comes after the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) challenged the deal, citing several risks, including job losses and poor value for taxpayers.
The two organisations argued that Kenya could independently fund the $1.85bn required to expand and modernise East Africa’s largest aviation hub, avoiding the need for external partnerships. Court documents also indicated concerns about the fiscal risks and the involvement of non-Kenyan workers.
The court has granted permission for a judicial review and placed a temporary hold on any further action regarding the deal, pending the case’s resolution.
The Kenyan government has said that the airport is over capacity and requires modernisation, but it maintains that no final decision has been made about whether to proceed with Adani’s proposal under a public-private partnership.
The court’s decision follows protests from the Kenya Aviation Workers Union, which feared job losses and adverse impacts on local workers.
