If Indian billionaire Gautan Adani, through Adani Group, wants to run airports in Kenya under the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) model, he should put up a new airport. The BOT model can’t be used on already existing infrastructure.
This whole scheme is about illegal privatisation of JKIA which shouldn’t be entertained. The Sh238 billion being talked about is probably enough to construct a brand-new airport.
The 8 million passenger capacity Bugesera International Airport being constructed in Rwanda is costing $2 billion. Ethiopia is also planning a 100 million passenger capacity airport whose first phase will cost $6 billion.
That is why this issue needs transparency and public participation. It is not clear what the $1.85 billion Adani is purportedly expected to invest will do. This is not a small amount of money. However, without details, it is hard to understand how the deal will result in net benefits for the country.
It is unfortunate that while other countries in the region are engaged in huge projects to become air transport hubs, we are wasting time with scandals. This is how to lose competitiveness and eventually become economically irrelevant. By Ephraim Njega, a business and development consultant. He is also an experienced economic analyst with an MBA from the University of Nairobi.
