Kenya's high court has issued a temporary injunction against a proposed agreement that would see India's Adani Group lease the country's primary airport for a period of 30 years, in return for its expansion, according to court documents.
In a joint filing, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the nation's leading bar association, and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) informed the court on Monday that Kenya has the capability to independently secure the $1.85 billion needed to upgrade the airport in Nairobi. LSK and KHRC argued that the purported 30-year lease of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), the largest aviation hub in East Africa, is financially burdensome, poses a threat to job security, represents a fiscal hazard, and does not provide taxpayers with adequate value for their money, as indicated in court documents published on the KHRC's website.
The high court has granted permission to file a judicial review to contest the potential lease of JKIA to Adani, as stated by LSK's President Faith Odhiambo on the social media platform X late on Monday. "The court has also issued a stay order, preventing any individual from implementing or acting upon the privately initiated Adani proposal concerning JKIA until the conclusion of the court case," Odhiambo noted.
The Adani Group has not yet responded to a request for comment from Reuters. Last month, Kenya's primary aviation union, the Kenya Aviation Workers Union, called for a strike in opposition to the proposed deal, asserting that it would result in job losses and introduce non-Kenyan workers. The Kenyan government has acknowledged that the airport is operating beyond its capacity and requires modernization, but has emphasized that it is not for sale and that no decision has been made regarding the proposed public-private partnership to upgrade the transport hub. In July, the government stated that Adani's offer was under review, and if a deal is ultimately agreed upon, safeguards will be put in place to protect Kenya's national interests.
