Adani Group denied issuing any statement related to Kenya after a fake press release went viral. After a fake press release stating that the, “Adani group is deeply disturbed by the recent threats of demonstrations targeting our ongoing projects in Kenya. These unsubstantiated allegations are not only harmful to reputation but also hinder over efforts to contribute to the nation’s progress.”
FAKE PRESS RELEASE
The fake release added that, “The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Keraco transmission lines projects were awarded to them by Kenyan government through vigorous transparent bidding process, and were not self-awarded. The allegations are false and defamatory, added the fake release.”
“If these threats persists, we will have no option but to reveal the names of government shareholders who have benefited from our investments. Additionally, we will also publish the names of individuals who have received substantial bribes from our company,” the fake release mentioned.
Clarification by the Adani Group Spokesperson
The Adani group has clarified on Monday that the company or its subsidiaries has not issued any statement regarding Kenya. The press release said, “Certain vested interests with malicious intent are circulating multiple fraudulent press release including one titled ‘Adani Group Denounces Baseless Accusations and Threats’, related to our presence in Kenya. We categorically state that neither the Adani group nor any of its companies or subsidiaries have issued any Press Releases related to Kenya. We strongly condemn this deceitful act and urge everyone to disregard these fake fraudulent releases completely. We will take legal action against anyone involved in spreading false narratives. Our official press releases are available on our websites. We encourage the media and influencers to verify facts and sources before publishing or broadcasting any articles or news on the Adani group.
Kenyan High Court suspends $1.85 billion agreement between the government and India’s Adani Airport Holdings
On September 10, Financial Times stated that, Kenyan High Court issued a suspension on 1.85 billion dollar agreement between the government and India’s Adani Airport Holdings Limited. The report further said that, this deal would have granted Adani the right to operate Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for 30 years. The court’s order prohibits any implementation of the deal until further rulings are made.
According to a Bloomberg report, a legal challenge has been filed against the government of Kenya regarding the leasing of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi to Adani Airport. The Kenya Human Rights Commission along with the lawyers’ body argues that this move is unconstitutional.
They stated in the filings, “Leasing the strategic and profitable JKIA to a private entity is irrational and violates the constitutional principles of good governance, accountability, transparency and prudent and responsible use of public money.
On September 14, a post on the ‘X’ by username ‘MT’ said, “I told an Indian friend that Adani is taking over our airport and he almost fell over laughing and asked if we were mad. When I explained the whole contract he asked if Adani is running a parallel government in Kenya, and I couldn’t even offer a rebuttal.”
David Ndii, economist, columnist, author and the Chief Economic Adviser to President Ruto, replied to ‘MT’, “Which contract Adani proposal is not a contract proposals go through evaluation followed by negotiations due diligence stakeholder engagement legal opinions and cabinet approval before there is a contract.”
In another tweet David Ndii said, “Please do your homework. The Government through KETRACO has awarded PPP concessions to Adani and Africa50 to build NEW transmission lines. They are hiring their project teams. The cost of these transmission lines is $1.3 billion that we do not have to borrow.
Africa50
Africa50 was established by African governments and the African Development Bank to help bridge Africa’s infrastructure funding gap by facilitating project development, mobilizing public and private sector finance, and investing in infrastructure on the continent.