Onyonka says State plans to silence JKIA deal whistleblower

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has claimed there are attempts by the government to silence the whistleblower of the controversial planned takeover of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by an Indian company Adani.

Onyonka said the decision by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations requesting several documents from the CEO of Afrinet Carbon Limited Nelson Amenya, to allegedly investigate computer fraud was aimed at intimidating him over his role in exposing the suspicious deal.

The Kisii senator, who was speaking to The Standard at Parliament buildings, said the information requested by the DCI are documents that the State can access from the Business Registration Service (BRS), an entity mandated to oversee all the operations of registration of such businesses.

“I have reliable information that Afrinet Carbon Limited is associated with one Kenyan who is the main whistleblower of the controversial planned takeover of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Adani Group. I consider this letter and request from the DCI as a witch-hunt aimed at serving a vindictive, vitriolic and vengeful politically motivated abhorrence,” said Onyonka.

The senator said political persecution is a cowardly act that contravenes the fundamental rights enshrined in Chapter Four of our 2010 Constitution on the Bill of Rights and other provisions of the Whistleblower Protection Act.

Onyonka said the country's progressive Constitution protects citizens against sinister attempts by the State to maliciously intimidate a citizenry for political reasons, explicitly to restrict or prevent their ability to participate in political activities which include protesting, petitioning and other voluntary activities undertaken by the masses to influence public policy.

“In my conscious volition as a democratically elected senator, I have been in constant communication with the whistleblower, which informed a statement that I sought on the floor of the Senate directed at the Committee on Roads and Transportation on July 17, 2024. This followed summons to the committee on August 1, 2024 to give more information on the statement about the Adani-JKIA takeover, ” said Onyonka.

Amenya was quoted last Friday saying his company received a letter from the head of Serious Crimes Unit at the DCI headquarters requesting for certified copy of certificate of incorporation, certified copy of Article and Memorandum of Association and names of contacts of registered directors and founders of the company.

Meanwhile Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) workers in Mombasa joined in the push against the deal. The employees staged a protest at the Moi International Airport on Sunday to oppose the government plan to lease JKIA to Adani Airport Holding Limited saying it was a rip off.

The aviation workers, led by Kenya Aviation Workers Union branch chairman Walter Ongeri and branch secretary Robert Lichoro, said they will not allow such a strategic facility to be placed in the hands of a foreigner.

The workers claimed Adani has caused trouble and was rejected in several foreign countries such as Australia and asked the government to stop the deal.

“The government should stop the deal with Adani. It should not give away the strategic airport to Adani for 30 years. The government should not sneak in this investor,” said Lichoro.

He said JKIA is not a loss making facility and hence should be spared from a concession with a firm whose operations have been questionable.

He said JKIA makes about Sh6 billion profit annually and its revenue runs the other airports and airstrips in the country and hence should not be handed to a foreigner.

Ongeri claimed Adani was set to bring trouble instead of improving the operations of the country's biggest airport, adding that the planned investment can be carried out by Kenya Airport Authority.

He called on MPs to intervene and also reject the concession deal with Adan saying he would bring in expatriates that take way the local jobs.

“Kenyans should stand up and defend their heritage and national resources,” he said.