President William Ruto has dismissed reports suggesting that the government plans to sell Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to a private investor.
Ruto stated that Kenya is only pursuing a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to upgrade the facility and enhance the airport’s appearance.
“The airport we have in Nairobi is made of canvas in the arrivals. This is a temporary structure we put up almost 7 years ago. Ethiopia, Rwanda have a brand-new airport. It is the reason why we need to work with investors to give us a new airport,” Ruto said.
The Head of State, during a Townhall conversation in Mombasa on Sunday, argued that a PPP programme will be the right approach to improving the airport, as it allows foreign and local investment into the project.
“Am I a mad man? How do you sell a strategic national asset? You have to be insane. We must have the right investment for the airport. What we want to do is to work under the PPP programme,” he said.
Ruto’s statement comes in response to public outrage regarding plans for private investor Adani Airports Holding Limited to invest Ksh. 242 billion to expand JKIA.
Last week, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) confirmed that it had received Adani’s proposal to upgrade the country’s main airport over the next 30 years, as part of the Cabinet-ratified JKIA Medium Term Investment Plan.
The Indian firm’s project, which will be implemented through a public-private partnership, includes improvements to JKIA’s passenger terminal and the construction of a new terminal, as well as building a second runway and enhancing the taxiway and apron.
This deal has faced significant scrutiny from civil society groups and some legislators, who are concerned that the government may be attempting to “sell” JKIA.
