‘Like in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh’: Indian govt warned over protests in Kenya against Adani’s airport deal

India’s Congress party today said that protests in Kenya over Adani Group’s proposed takeover of Nairobi airport is a matter of grave concern as it could turn into anger against India.

“The proposed takeover of Nairobi airport by the Adani Group has sparked widespread protests in Kenya. The Kenya Aviation Workers Union has called for a strike to protest. This is a matter of grave concern for India, as the non-biological prime minister’s friendship with Adani is now world-famous. The ongoing protests there could easily turn into anger against India and the Indian government,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on social network X (formerly Twitter).

Ramesh claimed that Adani Group’s projects have created similar controversies in neighbouring Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as well in recent times with disastrous effects for Indian interests.

“In recent years, similar controversies over Adani Group projects in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have undermined our national interests. These controversies have had disastrous consequences for India. For example, the Bangladesh government’s contract to buy power from Adani’s coal plant in Jharkhand became the immediate flashpoint for protests that forced Prime Minister Sheikha Hasina to resign last month. Adani’s renewable energy projects in Sri Lanka’s Mannar district were also mired in controversy and led to widespread protests against the Sri Lankan government in 2022,” warned Ramesh.

He further added, “Historically, India’s soft power has been one of the greatest strengths of our foreign policy. Today, this strength has been undermined by the Prime Minister’s collusion with the Adani Group. This is an unprecedented failure for India on the global stage. This is just one of the many sacrifices the country has made at the altar of the friendship of a non-biological Prime Minister.”

About 10,000 members of the Kenya Aviation Workers Union had initially planned to walk out August 19 over plans by the Kenyan government to strike an investment deal with India’s Adani Group to expand and operate Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

However, the protest has been delayed several times for negotiations.
The union has opposed the deal, saying it was an attempt to privatise the airport by stealth.

Under the proposal, Adani would invest $1.85 billion to expand the airport in exchange for operating it for 30 years, according to AFP.

Adani would add a second runway and upgrade the passenger terminal, according to airport operator Kenya Airport Authority (KAA).

Kenya’s government has defended the deal as a necessary measure to refurbish JKIA -- one of Africa’s busiest hubs -- which is often hit by power outages and leaking roofs.

KAA said last month that the deal would be “subjected to technical, financial and legal reviews alongside requisite due processes”.

Source: The Economic Times
--Agencies