NELSON Amenya recently sparked nationwide uproar after exposing secret negotiations for an Indian firm to take over Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Kenya’s main airport. The deal, involving India’s Adani Group, promised a $1.85bn investment but lacked transparency and invited significant public scrutiny. Despite fearing for his safety, Amenya has no regrets about his decision.
The JKIA is one of Africa’s busiest air hubs, but it suffers from frequent power outages and leaking roofs, making refurbishments a necessity. However, critics argue that Adani’s offer undervalues the airport, whose revenues account for 5 percent of Kenya’s GDP. The secret nature of the talks and the lack of competitive bidding have added to public anger.
‘They wanted the negotiations hidden because of the deal’s terms,’ Amenya told AFP. ‘Adani wanted to retain 18 percent equity even after a 30-year lease—it’s absurd.’ His revelation triggered a strike by airport staff and led to a parliamentary investigation. Finance Minister John Mbadi admitted he was stunned to discover that the Kenyan Aviation Authority (KAA) approved Adani’s proposal in less than a day back in March.
The KAA has not commented on the secrecy but has assured that the deal will undergo thorough reviews and follow due process. However, Amenya is concerned for his personal safety. He shared that he has been targeted since going public, with Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations accusing his carbon credit firm of selling fake cryptocurrency—an accusation he denies.
‘I exposed this because I’m currently in France; if I were in Kenya, I’d be in real danger,’ Amenya said. Even in France, he claims to have received threats to his safety and has filed a complaint with local police.
His concerns are validated by Sheila Masinde, head of Transparency International Kenya, who noted that whistleblowers in Kenya often face harassment, threats, or worse. ‘Nelson needs legal and physical protection—he’s acting in the public interest,’ she said. A Whistleblower Protection Bill has been pending in parliament for 11 years, which Masinde highlighted as a critical gap in Kenyan law.
What especially troubled Amenya was Adani’s controversial reputation. The conglomerate, which operates across various sectors from ports to energy, lost $150bn in market value last year following a report by US-based Hindenburg Research accusing it of ‘stock manipulation and accounting fraud.’ Adani has denied these allegations, calling them a malicious attempt to damage its reputation.
Amenya fears that without his intervention, the airport deal would have been signed behind closed doors. ‘They were just about to enter the project development stage,’ he said. ‘We might not stop Adani from taking over JKIA, but we can at least influence the terms.’
Kenya’s government says the terms of the deal are still being negotiated and stressed that refurbishment at the airport is vital to its operations.
