President William Ruto has issued a directive for the immediate suspension of public-private partnership negotiations between the Kenyan government and the Adani Group regarding two major projects.
The Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum have been instructed to cancel the procurement processes for both the JKIA Expansion project and the KETRACO transmission line partnership.
In his State of the Nation address on Thursday, November 21, 2024, Ruto justified this action by referencing credible evidence of corruption linked to the Adani Group.
In the face of undisputed evidence or credible information on corruption, I will not hesitate to take decisive action.
The decision to cancel the contracts follows recent findings from investigative agencies and international partners, which have raised concerns over the legitimacy of the ongoing discussions with Adani Group.
The President stressed that transparency and accountability would be fundamental as the government moves forward with these projects, urging relevant agencies to seek alternative partners.
Ruto also expanded on his administration’s broader efforts to combat corruption, stating,
Because corruption is a serious risk to social justice, sustainable development, national security, and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, I am harnessing our working relationship with other arms of government to encourage the Judiciary and Parliament to enhance integrity and efficiency by adopting digitisation and automation.
He added that, for these reforms to succeed, institutions responsible for addressing corruption must rise to meet the expectations of the people.
Challenges within the Judiciary and Parliament
The President particularly called out the Judiciary and Parliament for their handling of corruption cases.
It cannot be the case that the Director of Public Prosecutions keeps dropping cases because, somehow, they are unable to produce witnesses. It also cannot be the case that corruption suspects rush to court to obtain anticipatory bail, which shields them from due process and enables them to compromise investigations.
He further criticised the slow progress of the Conflict of Interest Bill, urging Parliament to pass the bill without delay, and emphasised the long-standing delays in the implementation of an e-procurement system by the National Treasury.
Today, I direct the National Treasury to roll out the e-procurement system by the end of the first quarter of 2025 and ensure that, going forward, only procurement undertaken through this system is sanctioned
As President Ruto continues his push to strengthen the fight against corruption, he warned that independent institutions tasked with upholding integrity must rise to the occasion.
Let this serve as notice to all. Independent institutions charged with this responsibility must up their game, pull up their socks and match up to the expectations of the people of Kenya.
Submission of key reports to parliament
The President concluded his address by submitting three key reports to Parliament as mandated by the Constitution, outlining progress on national values, international obligations, and the state of security in the country.
This decisive move against Adani Group, alongside the broader anti-corruption measures, signals Ruto’s resolve in tackling issues of corruption and inefficiency within government systems.