Watch: Kenyans Raid Virtual JKIA Lease Case, Chanting “Adani Must Go”
A judge adjourned a hearing regarding the leasing of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Adani Group after disruptive protests erupted during the virtual session.
Participants overwhelmed the virtual courtroom, chanting slogans like “Adani Must Go!” and “JKIA is not for sale.”
High Court Judge Bahati Mwamuye expressed his apologies for the disruption and rescheduled the hearing for October 22. He decided that the case would proceed in a physical court to ensure better order.
“Apologies Counsels, this is perhaps one of the challenges we face. We’re not able to prevent these disruptions. Let us reconvene on Tuesday at 11 AM, October 22, at 11 a.m. in open court,” the Judge said.
In this case, activist Tony Gachoka, alongside the Mount Kenya Jurist, the Wiper Democratic Movement, the Jubilee Party, and the Democratic Action Party-Kenya (DAP), has challenged the plans to lease JKIA to the Indian conglomerate.
The petitioners have urged the court to prevent the government from approving any concession agreement with Adani Group concerning the airport.
“The court should issue a stay order to suspend the implementation of the Heads of Terms of the Concession Agreement dated August 28, 2024, related to JKIA between the Kenya Airports Authority and Adani Airport Holdings,” the petition asserts.
Gachoka claims that the Privately Initiated Project (PIP) for JKIA, submitted by Adani Airport Holdings on March 1, 2022, is both fraudulent and unlawful, violating key provisions of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Act and the Constitution.
He emphasized that the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) failed to conduct any public participation after receiving Adani’s proposal and before issuing a positive appraisal for project approval.
In a separate motion, Adani Holdings seeks to dismiss the petitions, arguing they are premature since they aim to stop a project still in the due diligence stage and not yet approved.
Adani stated its intention to transform JKIA into a world-class airport. The investors claim they became interested in improving JKIA following media reports that highlighted the airport’s poor condition. They submitted their privately initiated proposal to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) on March 1, 2024.
“In the proposal, the fifth respondent (Adani Airports Holdings Ltd) provided a detailed analysis of the project delivery plan, justification for using the privately initiated proposal (PIP) method, value for money, project affordability, and the positive impact of the proposed PIP method. They also disclosed all the financial implications of the project,” the Indian firm stated.
Watch a video of the virtual court drama below.
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