Adani Takeover of Kenyan Airport Not Going Smoothly

Photo: Reuters

NAIROBI, (REUTERS) – Workers at Kenya’s main international airport a union official said, were assured by the government that a plan to lease the airport to an Indian company would only proceed with the union’s approval.

The workers, blowing plastic trumpets and scuffling with police, had earlier caused cancellations and delays for hundreds of passengers with their protest at a plan to lease the airport to Adani Group for 30 years, in exchange for $1.85 billion of investment by Adani into the airport’s expansion.

Last week, dozens of workers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport chanted “Adani must go”. Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said air traffic control services were fully operational, with landings and take-offs uninterrupted, but outside the terminals, passengers said they waited for hours for updates on flights.

Adani’s group operates seven airports in India and has often faced criticism from Indian opposition parties for winning favors from ruling governments. Indian officials and the Adani group have denied such accusations.

Adani is also considering investing in two airports in Vietnam, the Vietnamese government said in July.

The Kenya Aviation Workers Union argues that a deal with Adani would lead to job losses and bring in non-Kenyan workers.

Kenya’s government has said the airport is operating above capacity and needs modernizing but that it is not for sale. It says no decision has been made on what it calls a proposed public-private partnership to upgrade the site.

Kenya’s high court has temporarily blocked the Adani proposal, in which it would build a new runway and upgrade the passenger terminal, to allow time for a judicial review.