Adani Airport Holdings Limited, part of the Indian Adani Group, paid the Kenyan government a $50,000 (approximately Ksh. 6.47 million) review fee for its $1.85 billion (Ksh. 242 billion) proposal to revamp Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

According to court filings, the fee was deposited into the Public Private Partnerships Facilitation Fund alongside the documentation for its privately initiated proposal (PIP).

PHOTO | COURTESY Adani group


Adani’s lawyers stated that the payment complied with the Public Private Partnerships (PPP) regulations. The company also submitted incorporation, tax compliance, and financial documents to assist the PPP Directorate and the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) in conducting due diligence on the proposal.

The proposal's receipt was acknowledged by KAA on March 18, allowing the project to advance to the feasibility study phase. The study assessed the environmental and social impacts and financial plans and outlined how the project would provide value for money to the Kenyan public.

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Adani claims the project aligns with national infrastructure priorities and addresses longstanding issues at JKIA.

PHOTO | COURTESY Gautam Adani

However, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) filed a case on September 9 to block the deal, arguing that JKIA’s lease to a foreign entity lacked adequate consultation and transparency.

Adani dismissed claims that the airport had already been leased for 30 years, emphasizing that the proposal is still under review.

The case, halted by the court on September 9, will be mentioned again on October 8.

Adani maintains that the project remains at the due diligence stage, focusing on urgently needed infrastructure improvements at Kenya’s busiest airport.