Tensions flare in Senate as Treasury CS Mbadi defends controversial Adani takeover

 Attempts by Committee Chair Karungu wa Thangwa to restore order were met with hostility, prompting him to walk out of the session in protest.

Tension escalated in the afternoon session when Mbadi took the witness stand to defend the government’s position regarding the Adani deal.

 Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka introduced new evidence, presenting letters from three companies that expressed interest in the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) but were reportedly overlooked. 

Onyonka contended that KAA insisted only Adani had shown interest and that their proposal was the sole one processed.

The exchange between Onyonka and Mbadi intensified as Onyonka claimed that the letters had indeed been received by KAA, while Mbadi maintained that no correspondence had been sent to the Treasury regarding any company other than Adani.

The atmosphere grew increasingly charged during Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna's cross-examination of Mbadi, which quickly escalated into a personal confrontation.

 Senators pressed Mbadi for more information about his predecessor's handling of the Adani deal, with Mbadi insisting, “We are still in the due diligence stage.”

As the session reached a boiling point, Chair Thangwa accused Onyonka, Sifuna, and fellow senator Samson Cherargey of turning the hearing into a dramatic spectacle for online audiences. 

“You are using this session to get trending videos; we must conduct ourselves with respect and decorum,” Thangwa stated, leading to further bitter exchanges.

Sifuna, undeterred, threatened to remove Thangwa from his position, declaring, “This is a season of impeachments; we shall impeach you.”

 In response to the tensions, Onyonka, Sifuna, and Cherargey eventually walked out of the session, accusing Thangwa of suppressing their voices and acting as a gatekeeper for the government.

The session concluded amid a cloud of unresolved tensions and heightened scrutiny over the Adani deal.