Now Kenya cancels airport, power agreement with Adani
#News Bureau November 21,2024
Kenya has cancelled the airport and power transmission deal with Adani after Gautam Adani was accused of bribery scheme in the US. Kenya’s President William Ruto said on Thursday that we have cancelled multi-million dollar expansion and energy deals with Adani Group based on new information provided by our investigative agencies and partner countries.
This announcement by the President of Kenya has come at a time when Gautam Adani has been accused in the US of planning to bribe Indian officials with $250 million i.e. about Rs 2000 crore to get a big power project in India. However, Adani Group has rejected the allegations and said that the matter will be dealt with legally.
After this incident, the President of Kenya announced the cancellation of the deal. His video statement has been shared on social media. Ruto said that he has also instructed to cancel the deal of more than $ 700 million made by the Ministry of Energy with a unit of Adani Group for the construction of power transmission lines.
He said, ‘I have instructed agencies within the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum to immediately cancel the ongoing purchase.’ Ruto said in his address to the nation, the decision is attributed to the new information provided by investigating agencies and partner countries.
Adani Energy Solutions signed a 30-year, $736 million public-private partnership deal with Kenya Electrical Transmission Company in October. The contract was suspended by a court the same month.
The Adani Group was in the process of signing a deal with the Kenyan government to modernise its main airport in Nairobi, with an additional runway and terminal to be built. In return, the group would operate the airport for 30 years.
The deal led to protests in Kenya and airport workers went on strike, saying it would lead to poor working conditions and in some cases job losses.
Meanwhile, Energy Minister Opiyo Wandei said there was no bribery or corruption involved in the awarding of a contract to an Adani Group unit to build power lines in the country. “There is no case of corruption or bribery as far as the PIP with Adani Energy Solutions is concerned,” he told Kenya’s Senate finance committee, TOI reported.
