Govt Using Raila As Guinea Pig For New Adani Deal: Airport Workers
On Monday, September 22, Odinga maintained that Adani’s entry into Kenya was about investment, not exploitation of resources.
Marvin Chege 
Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) Secretary General Moss Ndiema has taken aim at former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, accusing him of pushing for a renewed attempt to lease Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to India’s Adani Group.
His remarks came after Odinga faulted anti-Adani protests, arguing that Kenya had missed a major chance to modernise its primary airport. On Monday, September 22, Odinga maintained that Adani’s entry into Kenya was about investment, not exploitation of resources.
"When Adani came here and wanted to rehabilitate our airport, too much noise was being made in Parliament for no reason at all. Adani pulled out. They were not taking it away; they wanted to bring in their money," said Odinga.
In reaction to Raila’s remarks, the KAWU chief argued that Odinga was being fronted to gauge public reaction to a possible revival of the Adani airport deal.
At the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi on December 4, 2024. /MARVIN CHEGE.VIRAL TEA KE
Ndiema further alleged that Odinga’s firm backing of the scrapped multibillion-shilling project stemmed from the fact that he stood to benefit from it.
“When you hear Raila Odinga talking about Adani, he is testing the waters. He is being used to test the waters. And for a fact, Raila had a share in the Adani deal," said Ndiema.
Adding "We have a lot of respect for him, but he has goofed in the issue of Adani; it's because he had his cut, which is why he is bitter about it. Adani was not good."
Taking aim at the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Ndiema urged Raila to make Adani’s airport expansion proposal public for Kenyans to examine.
He also rejected Raila’s assertion that Adani’s entry was purely investment-driven, insisting instead that the company planned to use JKIA as collateral to secure loans on behalf of the government.
"They were not coming here to invest even a cent. They wanted to use JKIA as collateral to borrow money. If that is the case, the KAA can use that collateral to borrow money directly. Do we need a middleman?" Ndiema stated.
This is notably not the first time Raila has lamented over the collapsed Adani deal. On June 20 this year, during a Cabinet retreat in Karen, he described it as a "major disappointment" that has undercut Kenya’s chances of becoming a leading aviation hub in Africa.
He noted that a series of cancellations — including the latest involving India’s Adani Group — had not only stalled Kenya’s infrastructure progress but also allowed regional rivals like Ethiopia and Rwanda to take the lead in aviation development.
“Kenya can become a hub, a big hub. I was very disappointed when we were not able to move on with the airport contract. That was very unfortunate,” he said.
In 2023, the government brought back plans to significantly expand JKIA through a public-private partnership with India’s largest airport operator, the Adani Group.
President William Ruto’s administration promoted the deal as a key step toward making Nairobi a central hub for regional transport and logistics. However, the agreement was eventually scrapped amid growing political pushback and public unease over issues of transparency and potential geopolitical consequences.
President Ruto, in November 2024, ordered the termination of infrastructure and energy agreements involving Indian billionaire Gautam Adani after criminal charges were filed in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Justice indicted Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, accusing them of running a bribery scheme that allegedly paid over $250 million to Indian officials to secure solar energy contracts.
