Why the Kenya airport deal flew into a storm

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Motorists pass through security checks at the entrance of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. PHOTO | FILE | NMG

The Jomo Kenya International Airport in Nairobi was engulfed in chaos earlier this week, as members of the Kenya Aviation Workers Union staged a strike in protest against a proposed lease of the facility to Indian infrastructure and airport management firm Adani Holdings.

Although government officials prefer to call the deal a public private partnership, the airport workers and the Kenyan public suspect it as a covert way of selling the family silver to Adani.