Mwaura Defends Gov’t Over Its Partnership With Adani Group

Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has said the partnership between the government and Adani Group is of strategic importance in upgrading Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

Speaking during the weekly media address at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (ICC), he defended Adani Group against the uproar among a section of Kenyans who are accusing the company of scandals, saying Adani has a good track record.

“We really need to change going forward and that is why we need a strategic partner bit I can say this without a fear of doubt that Adani has a very good track record in India and other places in investments,” Mwaura said.

He further explained that JKIA, built in 1978, can no longer support current passenger volumes, adding that for the past few years there have been congestion and that’s why it’s calls for urgent need of refurbishment and reconstruction.

“The facility is only able to cover 7.5 million passengers but last year alone we covered 8.6 million so we can cover even more like 10 million,” Mwaura noted.

He pointed out on infrastructure deterioration and power outages as challenges the new partnership aims to address.

“Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), a key national asset constructed in 1978 and managed by the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), has seen significant infrastructure deterioration over the past 45 years. This is inconsistent with Nairobi’s role as a major hub for multilateral and international organizations, similar to cities like Geneva and New York, and is further strained by increased economic activity, tourism growth, and the new Visa-Free regime,” Mwaura added.

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Mwaura also castigated critics and the speculator on the internet who feel that the arrival of Adani Group into the country would mean that the Airport employees will lose their jobs.

“You’ll be seeing more of these. We’ll be getting more  Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Performance Improvement Plan (PIPs) so that then we have a way of refinancing our own development because the issue of borrowing is becoming a challenge. Nobody will be adversely affected even those that are workers. I can assure you it will be handled in a proper manner,” Mwaura assured.

Social Health Insurance Fund Registration

Addressing queries on Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), Mwaura reminded civil servants of the October 1 deadline for registration, mentioning that several ministries and different dockets will put their hands together to oversee the success of the registration.

“All civil servants are expected to be registered by October 1, 2024, with the Ministries of Energy and Information, Communication, and the Digital Economy required to support power and internet connections to health facilities across the country,” the government spokesman stated.

Regarding the government’s inspection of key projects, Mwaura affirmed the commitment to ensuring development projects are properly implemented.

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“My office, in collaboration with the President’s office, will visit even the most remote areas. We will ensure that what is on paper and discussed in Nairobi is actually happening on the ground,” Mwaura said, addressing concerns that the official narrative sometimes differs from reality.

He called upon Kenyans to take part in inspecting and following up with government projects. This came as a result of continued expose of stalled projects by lawyer-turned-activist Morara Kebaso, who’ has traversing the country exposing Ruto’s stalled projects.