Kaluma urges Ruto to revive Adani-style PPP for JKIA facelift
By Ascah Mwango, August 28, 2025Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament Peter Kaluma has urged President William Ruto to revive the cancelled Adani deal or seek another investor to modernise Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
In a statement shared on Thursday, August 28, 2025, via his X account, Kaluma criticised the state of the country’s main airport, saying it is far below international standards.
“Kenya can’t pride itself as a regional and international hub without a proper airport. JKIA is no better than a cowshed. Kindly get Adani or other investor(s) to rebuild JKIA under a public-private partnership. We’ll secure our national interest in the PPP,” Kaluma stated.
His call comes just weeks after he expressed frustration over what he described as deliberate interference with efforts to upgrade JKIA. On July 12, 2025, Kaluma accused interest groups of blocking Public Private Partnership projects in Kenya while neighbouring Ethiopia moves ahead with massive investments in aviation infrastructure.
“At Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Waah! And Ethiopia is building a bigger international airport at Bishoftu through a Public-Private Partnership arrangement. In Kenya, any attempt to rebuild Jomo Kenyatta International Airport through Public Private Partnerships is thwarted by commercial activists through demonstrations led by street urchins, famed ‘legends’,” Kaluma posted.
Cancellation of Adani
Kaluma’s remarks follow the cancellation of a planned Adani-led PPP deal that was supposed to modernise JKIA. The agreement was terminated by President Ruto during his State of the Nation address on November 21, 2024.
“I have directed agencies within the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum to immediately cancel the ongoing procurement,” Ruto said at the time.
The cancellation came shortly after the founder of India’s Adani Group was indicted by U.S. authorities over allegations of paying approximately 265 million U.S. dollars (KSh 34.5 billion), about 34.5 billion shillings, in bribes to Indian government officials.
The Kenyan government defended the decision, saying it was committed to upholding integrity and transparency in public projects. In the same address, Ruto also cancelled a separate 736 million U.S dollars (Ksh95.7 billion) power transmission PPP deal, instructing the relevant ministries to stop both agreements. The announcement was widely welcomed in Parliament, where members applauded the president’s firm stance on corruption.