Kenya's ex-PM disappointed Adani deal for JKI airport expansion failed

Kenya's former prime minister Raila Odinga has said that he was disappointed when the Adani deal to expand and manage the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) collapsed, according to a media report on Friday.

Odinga, while speaking on the second day of the National Executive Retreat in Karen in Nairobi, also said that the deal was politicised, resulting in its cancellation, The Star newspaper reported.

"I was very disappointed when we were not able to move on with the airport contract that was very unfortunate, he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

The leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) said should the deal have proceeded, it would have elevated Nairobi into a regional economic hub.

He said that the first expansion contract for JKIA was awarded during his tenure as the Prime Minister but was later on cancelled after the grand coalition government left office.

We had awarded the Greenfield airport contract before we left government with Mwai Kibaki in 2012. That contract was cancelled, then it was given to the same contractor but then again cancelled because of disagreements. When we got to Adani, they (the political rivals) brought politics and the contract was cancelled," he said.

If that is not done, Nairobi will just become dormant. Look at Addis Ababa, they are going and now putting up a new big airport and it's going to be the hub around, he added.

Under the proposed airport deal worth nearly $2 billion, the conglomerate was to add a second runway at JKIA and upgrade the passenger terminal. It was also to operate it on a 30-year lease.

Odinga said if the airport construction is done, it has the potential to become Africa's top airline.