Wednesday, October 2, 2024 – President William Ruto’s government has found another way to upgrade the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
This comes weeks after a High
Court in Nairobi put on hold the controversial planned lease of JKIA to Adani
Group.
While appearing before
parliamentarians, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi revealed that the
government would fund key government projects including the revamp of the
country's main airport using proceeds from the sale of a diaspora bond.
Mudavadi noted that the
government had initiated plans to raise more funds for infrastructural
development through the acquisition of loans from Kenyans living abroad.
“We can mobilize diaspora
resources, to partner with other private sector resources and fund this piece
of infrastructure,” Mudavadi told legislators.
Issuance of diaspora bonds
was revived this month after being put on hold for over six months
following concerns on whether Kenyans living in the diaspora were able to loan
the State.
Meanwhile, the CS in his
explanation, said he regretted the country’s decision to abandon the
rejuvenation of JKIA while other airports across the continent were being
expanded and upgraded.
“The truth is that if you went
to West Africa today, whether you are landing in Ghana, Togo or you went to
Addis or Rwanda, their airports have overtaken Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport,” the CS stated.
Mudavadi’s announcement comes
barely three weeks after the High Court in Nairobi temporarily halted the
planned lease of JKIA to Adani Group.
The decision followed a petition
filed by the Law Society of Kenya that sought a court order to compel the
government to suspend its planned lease of the country's airport.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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