“Am I a madman?” – Ruto Refutes Claims of JKIA Sale to Private Investor

“Am I a madman?” – Ruto Refutes Claims of JKIA Sale to Private Investor

President William Ruto on Sunday evening refuted claims that the government was selling the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to a private investor.

Ruto explained that involving a private investor to develop the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was necessary due to the substantial refurbishment costs, which the government could not manage alone.

During a town hall forum in Mombasa County, the President emphasized the importance of the private company undertaking the upgrade, similar to other infrastructure projects.

“Kenyans, let’s be honest. The airport we have has a temporary canvas structure in the middle of the tarmac at the arrivals section, which we erected almost seven years ago,” Ruto remarked.

“I have seen many people saying William Ruto wants to sell the airport (JKIA). Am I a madman? How do you sell a strategic national asset? You have to be insane. The airport is a strategic national asset. We want to work under the PPP Program to make the airport better.” 

He assured that the investment was part of a public-private partnership arrangement.

The president outlined that the investor’s responsibilities at JKIA would include building a new runway, constructing a new terminal, and refurbishing the current airport infrastructure.

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“We are 10 years behind in modernizing our airports. We need to work with investors to improve our airports. Airports are strategic government assets.”

“I want to persuade you Kenyans, don’t buy into fake news, don’t buy into the propaganda. No country can sell a strategic national asset like an airport,” he said.

Ruto also mentioned that similar funding models would be applied to other projects, such as constructing a superhighway to Nakuru.

He stressed the necessity of the airport refurbishment, stating that the project was overdue by a decade.

Additionally, Ruto emphasized that the terms for the reconstruction would be transparent, with all documents subject to parliamentary and stakeholder audits.

The president’s comments aligned with those of the Kenya Airports Authority, which confirmed that the deal’s focus was solely on the airport’s reconstruction.

“The required investment is substantial and cannot be met given the current fiscal constraints without resorting to private funding,” the Authority stated.

KAA also revealed that the agreement followed the cabinet’s approval of the JKIA Medium-Term Investment Plan.

“Am I a madman?” – Ruto Refutes Claims of JKIA Sale to Private Investor