Senator Omtatah Reveals That Parliament Has Power To Stop The JKIA-Adani Deal
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has explained how the Parliament can prevent the JKIA-Adani deal from proceeding but has stated that the Parliamentary probe cannot halt discussions about the deal.
Speaking on Spice FM on Monday morning, Omtatah stated that as an oversight organ, the Parliament of Kenya has the legal authority to halt the deal’s proceedings as long as it has not yet been contracted.
Because JKIA was built with taxpayer money, Omtatah referred to Parliament as the custodian of the public interest, and thus they have the authority to halt its construction before it is contracted.
“Parliament has the capacity to stop it where it is. After it is contracted, Parliament lacks the tools to stop it. Only the courts can do it,” Omtatah clarified.
Okiya Omtatah: Given the track record of Adani, there was an issue with them in Switzerland: How did they pass the bar of integrity.
— SpiceFM (@SpiceFMKE) September 16, 2024
🔴Full Interview: https://t.co/sUorwhA9gF#TheSituationRoom @OkiyaOmtatah pic.twitter.com/yHLJoGyEQN
He was then asked whether the ongoing Parliament probe could prevent the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) from continuing the conversation with Adani.
“No, it does not stop it until an order is issued,” Omtata stated.
As a result, it would be more efficient if Parliament could speed up the process so that an order is issued before it is too late.
This remains to be seen, given that investigations in the Kenyan National Assembly can take several months, despite the fact that time is of the essence in this case.
The Adani-JKIA controversial deal has captivated the nation since whistleblower Nelson Amenya contacted Senator Richard Onyonka to expose it.
According to Omtatah, one of the major reasons why the deal should not go through is that due diligence was not performed during the early stages of the transaction.
Public participation and transparency, both critical to the process, were not properly carried out, making the entire process unconstitutional.
If the contract is signed before parliament orders that the deal be stopped, the courts must be involved, and all documentation used in the process must be audited.
“With that documentation, we can have an audit through the courts and it’s the courts that have orders to quash those contracts if they are not anchored in the law,” he said hopefully.
“And I think from what is coming out, I don’t see any competent court that would allow this thing to go through.”
Outlining the steps required for a PPP agreement, he stated that several appear to have been overlooked.
Especially since everything that is coming out about the Adani entity appears to paint it in a negative light, the most recent example being the Ksh40 million money laundering scheme in Switzerland.
Other concerns raised by the impending takeover are those of national security. Because the military uses the airport, intelligence may be jeopardized.
The documentation also reveals the fate of third-party companies contracted by the JKIA has not been properly outlined.
However, Omtatah stated that he and senators Ole Kina, Sifuna, Cherargei, and Onyonka have vowed to turn over every stone to ensure that the deal does not go through and that they get to the bottom of it.
Senator Omtatah Reveals That Parliament Has Power To Stop The JKIA-Adani Deal
