Nyakang'o: Treasury officials secretly visited India over Adani deal

Officials from the National Treasury made a quiet visit to Ahmedabad, India, to engage in discussions with Adani Energy Solutions regarding the implementation of transmission Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in January this year.

The Controller of Budget revealed the visit in last week’s report to parliament, noting that taxpayers bore the cost of the trip, amounting to Sh1,252,540 for two officials.

“Engage in discussions with the PPP Directorate and Adani Energy Solutions to facilitate the implementation of their transmission PPPs,” the Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o stated in the National Government Budget Implementation Review report for FY 2023/24.

This revelation comes a week after Nyakang’o expressed concerns about her safety following her exposure of corruption in both national and county governments during her appearance before the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC).

“The fact that I hold a protected office was ignored, and I was abducted to Mombasa. But I am here in the office without fear or favour. Sometimes I feel unsafe, but the law has protected me. I am here to carry out my duties under the law,” she stated, referring to her arrest in December 2023.

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The visit by Treasury officials, which took place from January 27 to February 1, 2024, remains shrouded in secrecy, with the government keeping crucial documents on Adani deals in Kenya out of public reach.

The discussions centered on PPP, a key focus for president William Ruto’s development plan. Despite the lack of transparency, the timing of the trip has raised suspicion as it occurred while Indian billionaire Gautam Adani was in talks to lease Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for 30 years.

Booker Ngesa, Vice Chairperson of the Communist Party of Kenya said that the PPP are new ways of stealing from Kenyans.

“The two people left the country, they left secretly even before a feasibility or public participation was done, then spent million in four-five days and then came back,” Ngesa said, adding, “the biggest problem we are facing as a country is corruption and wastage of public resources.”

Adani deals targeting multiple sectors have sparked public protests, lawsuits, and parliamentary inquiries, with critics accusing the government of sidelining proper procurement procedures and bypassing feasibility studies.

Senate scrutiny and controversy

Early September, Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka disclosed in the Senate that Adani’s company had secured a contract with the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) to build high-voltage power lines in Kenya, before the government made it public, raising questions on how loopholes in the procurement process are being violated.

“Why would  Treasury officials meet Adani in India instead of  Adani coming to Kenya. It’s pure wastage of public resources,” Onyonka said.

He expressed concern that Adani’s influence was spreading beyond health, energy and transport, alleging that the conglomerate was poised to take over sectors like KenGen and even manage the health insurance system through the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi- defended the use of PPPs as a necessary strategy for Kenya’s economic development. Speaking at a public participation forum in Nairobi a few weeks ago, Wandayi argued that PPPs could help Kenya overcome its financial challenges if structured to ensure value for money.

 “Properly structured PPPs allow us to achieve value for money,” Wandayi said, adding that projects like KETRACO transmission lines must meet rigorous suitability tests.