Following President William Ruto’s decision to terminate the Ksh338 billion Adani deals for the renovation of the country’s principal airport and electrical lines, Nelson Amenya has come forward to describe his role as a whistleblower.
During an interview with BBC Africa, Amenya revealed that he had documentation about the multibillion-dollar agreement from reliable sources within government ministries.
The 30-year-old, who is presently studying in France, explained that he initially underestimated the impact of the transaction on Kenyans.
However, after a comprehensive review of the paperwork, he discovered the consequences of the privately initiated agreement.
“The first feeling I had when I was passed the documents was that it was just another government deal. I did not understand the magnitude or the seriousness of it,” Amenya told BBC journalists.
“The people who were giving me these documents were from very legitimate departments of government and it was going to hurt the Kenyan economy,” he added.
The whistleblower claimed that the contract would have been unfair to Kenyans because it would have consumed a large amount of taxpayer money with little return.
Amenya disclosed that the agreement would force Kenya to spend even more money if the Indian business failed to recoup its investments in the country.
“This was a great breach of trust of the people by the leadership of the president, the Kenya Airports Authority and the the minister, they all betrayed the people,” Amenya said.
Aside from the odd provisions and lack of openness in the contract, he was concerned about the agreement’s flagrant contempt for the law during its implementation.
In March of this year, Kenya got a proposal from the Adani Group to run and manage Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for the next 30 years.
Three months later, Ruto’s administration accepted the required aviation rules, allowing the Indian corporation to renovate the main airport.
The acquisition, which made headlines in July, prompted significant resentment among Kenyans, particularly aviation workers who protested the decision, citing job threats.
Following months of criticism surrounding the pact, President Ruto announced its cancelation during a State of the Nation speech on November 21.
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