David Ndii, the Chair of President Ruto’s Council of Economic Advisors, has revealed new details about the controversial JKIA airport deal that many Kenyans have been talking about.
Speaking on social media, Ndii said that Kenya did not choose the Indian company Adani Group to work on the JKIA upgrade.
Instead, the United Arab Emirates, who are financing the project, selected the company themselves. This changes how the public might view the deal, as many people had believed the Kenyan government made the decision without a proper tender process.
Ndii explained that it is common for countries that give loans to also choose who will do the work. He said that the UAE picked Adani because they are funding the project.
He also gave examples from the past, saying that China has done the same thing when funding projects in Kenya.
Chinese companies handled the work, and Kenyans accepted it without much resistance. According to Ndii, the same thinking should apply now with the UAE and Adani. He suggested that the government had little room to negotiate, especially in a tough economic situation.
Back in February 2025, Kenya signed a huge loan deal worth Ksh193 billion with the UAE. Part of that money was planned for improving Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
But ever since the deal came to light, many Kenyans have raised questions about how it was done. Critics say the government skipped the open tender process, which is important for transparency and fairness. This led to public anger and fear that the deal may not have been in the best interest of the country.
Ndii defended the government’s choice by saying the country could not afford to waste time on a long bidding process. He said that because Kenya is struggling with a weak economy and heavy debt, it would have been hard to attract enough serious companies to compete for the project.
He also said that choosing another contractor through open competition might have ended in failure if they could not raise the funds. That’s why the government decided to first secure the loan, then go with the contractor the funders approved.
An aerial view of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Photo|HANDOUT.
On the other side, Raila Odinga has come out to express his disappointment that the Adani deal was cancelled.
Speaking during a recent executive retreat, he said Kenya had lost a big chance to improve JKIA and take a strong position as Africa’s leading aviation hub.
He mentioned that the idea to upgrade JKIA had started during his time as Prime Minister and believed the Adani plan could have made Nairobi a top destination for air travel in Africa.
Even though the Adani deal was cancelled in 2024 due to public pressure and concerns over transparency, the issue is far from over.
With David Ndii now revealing that the UAE chose Adani and not Kenya, many people are beginning to question whether the project was misunderstood.
The debate continues, with some arguing that Kenya lost a key investment opportunity, while others believe it was right to cancel a deal that lacked public trust. Either way, the truth around the JKIA saga is still unfolding.
