The Kenyan High Court has instructed the government to provide evidence verifying the cancellation of the controversial Adani-Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) deal. This order came after Advocate Ezra Makori, representing the Adani Group, indicated the group’s intention to withdraw from the case, citing the termination of the project.
However, petitioners led by Tony Gachoka and the Mt. Kenya Jurists challenged the claim, arguing that no evidence had been presented to back President William Ruto’s announcement about the deal’s cancellation.
The petitioners, represented by Senior Counsel Kalonzo Musyoka, Kibe Mungai, Dan Maanzo, and Eugene Wamalwa, emphasized the importance of transparency regarding the contentious project. They insisted that the public interest litigation should proceed, especially where national assets are involved.
Kibe Mungai raised constitutional concerns, particularly about the legality of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act that formed the basis of the agreement.
Kalonzo Musyoka further remarked, “This is a matter of significant corruption, and we need to understand what was cancelled.”
Justice Bahati Mwamuye, in addition to requesting proof of the deal’s cancellation, issued an interim order preventing the Adani Group or any other entity from taking control of JKIA until the issue is fully resolved in court.
Adani’s legal representatives stated that discussions with the government had not reached the point of a formal, binding agreement, a view shared by government lawyer Dennis Mosota, who confirmed that no official contracts had been signed.
Despite these claims, the petitioners argued that the unresolved legal issues surrounding the deal must be clarified before any decisions are made.
This dispute follows President Ruto’s announcement of the cancellation of several infrastructure and energy agreements involving Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, including the JKIA expansion and the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO) projects. The cancellation came after criminal charges were brought against Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, in the United States over their alleged involvement in a $250 million bribery scheme tied to solar energy contracts in India, as reported by News Central Africa.