Transport CS nominee Davis Chirchir promises to make public Adani-JKIA deal

Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary nominee Davis Chirchir has revealed that, if approved for the position, his ministry will make public the details of the proposal to lease the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Adani Holdings Limited.

Last month, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) confirmed receipt of a proposal from the Indian firm on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement to renovate the airport to international standards.

Appearing before the Committee on Appointments for vetting on Friday, Chirchir explained that the government will develop a framework outlined in a term sheet and determine key details such as how the deal will benefit the State.

He noted that the proposal by a private sector player to renovate the airport is feasible if the government is unable to fund the project.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi recently revealed that it would take Ksh.260 billion to renovate the airport by building a new passenger terminal, refurbishing the existing terminals, constructing a second runway and enhancing cargo handling facilities.

"We will need public participation, provide information and have a framework in terms of a term sheet...get to know what is the return on investment on the PPP," Chirchir said.

"If we agree on the debt to equity ratio, we should be able to get Kenyans to understand whether it is a deal we should do, will it help Kenyans? If we can't do it as a government, can we allow a private sector player to do it on reasonable but competitive costs or return on capital?"

He also stressed on the need to involve Kenyans through public participation when carrying out projects from the onset to avoid backlash and public outrage.

"As government, we feel like information is given out when we feel we're pushed to give out the information. We need to involve Kenyans during these processes such as Adani and government-to-government deals," he added.

His remarks came amid the controversy surrounding the JKIA leasing deal despite the government clarifying that the airport is not up for sale.

In a statement, Prime CS Mudavadi acknowledged that the government received a proposal from Adani but was yet to agree on the terms. He assured the public that the process would be conducted according to the law.