Adani Deals, Kenyan Secrets: The Whistleblower's Story

Dive into the heart of the controversy surrounding Adani Group's attempted deals in Kenya, as exposed by whistleblower Nelson Amenya. This podcast explores the details of the proposed $2bn deal to lease Nairobi's main airport to Adani for 30 years and a subsequent $736m energy deal.

Nelson Amenya describes the airport deal as "very shady," claiming it would primarily benefit Adani (90%) with only 10% for Kenya. He asserts that government officials colluded with the company to secretly push the deal through, bypassing due process and public participation. Despite getting advice from a consulting firm for the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) with an "completely opposite view" on upgrading the airport, Adani received approval from the same KAA, raising questions about why the advice was ignored.

The exposé sparked national outrage and protests by airport workers demanding accountability and transparency. Adani Group has called Nelson's claims "baseless and malicious".

The situation escalated significantly after the US issued an indictment against Adani Group's founder, Gautam Adani, for a $250m bribery scheme related to a solar power plant deal in India. This indictment, filed by New York prosecutors, alleges Adani paid bribes to Indian officials and committed fraud by hiding these payments when raising debt from investors and lenders.

A day after the US indictment, Kenya cancelled the Adani deals. Nelson feels "vindicated" by the cancellation, viewing it as confirmation that the deals were "bad". He notes that if the deals were good, the government would have stood by them.

However, Nelson Amenya's future in Kenya is uncertain; he states he is unable to return due to credible threats received from intelligence agencies and individuals angry about his actions. While Nelson believes he was fulfilling a national duty, others are clearly upset. Adani Group maintains their proposal for the energy deal followed the Kenyan Public Private Partnership (PPP) Act and was properly assessed and endorsed by relevant authorities.

Recent reports mention Nelson Amenya again sounding the alarm about potential new arrangements for Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), suggesting plans to offer control to a Dubai firm, potentially with the Adani Group hiding behind it. He expresses concern that this could involve using Kenyan taxpayer money as a guarantee for investment. The source notes that Nelson Amenya previously revealed the Adani deal despite government denials, lending weight to his current claims. Concerns are also raised about job losses for Kenyans working at the airport and the idea of using the airport as collateral for a loan.

This podcast delves into the allegations of corruption, lack of transparency, bypass of due process, and the bravery of a whistleblower amidst national controversy and international scrutiny of the Adani Group.