Thursday October 24, 2024 - President William Ruto has jealously defended the Adani Group over its controversial takeover of key government infrastructure like the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and KETRACO.
Speaking during the groundbreaking of the 35MW Orpower 22
Power Plant, Menengai, Nakuru County, Ruto called upon Kenyans to embrace
private partners as they have the capacity to finance mega-projects in Kenya
which will help alleviate the tax burden on Kenyans and cut overdependence on
loans.
He hailed Private Partnerships and praised the Adani Group,
claiming that embracing such partners was the right direction to take if Kenya
wants to develop.
"The Adani group is investing in the transmission line
with their own money Ksh 95 Billion.”
“We would have gone to borrow that money and burden the
people of Kenya, but this is now a private-sector investment.”
“It is the same partnership that saw us have the Nairobi
Expressway," Ruto stated
According to Ruto, Kenya will pay for that transition line by
Adani, using a willing charge that has been negotiated.
The President further noted that Kenya needs the private
sector to invest in it to help the nation realize its potential and fully
exploit its existing resources.
"It is important for us as a nation to appreciate that a
partnership between the public and private sector gives us a win-win situation
where we can deliver public services using the investment of private sector as
a way supporting overall development in our country,” Ruto said.
Adani has received a lot of backlash from Kenya after it was
revealed it will acquire the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for a period
of 30 years for renovations.
Adani also inked a Ksh117 billion power transmission
infrastructure deal with Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) for
30 years to finance, construct, and operate a number of transmission lines and
substations.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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