The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) has joined the on-going calls for the controversial plan to lease the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Indian firm Adani to be dropped.

The institution has argued that the proposal by Adani does not seem to prioritize any immediate improvements on the current status of the JKIA, but rather appears to focus mainly on the City Side Development (CSD).

“This will not solve the immediate issues facing the airport, but rather tap into the opportunities that should follow the growth and expansion of the airport,” the engineers’ body stated.

The IEK further noted that the Adani proposal does not even propose the construction of a new runway in the 30-year concession period within which the airport shall be leased to the Indian firm.

“The proposal on the provision of ILS-CAT-I facilities in 2046 is unfortunate. JKIA currently has a CAT-1 ILS, and improving this to CAT II or to CAT III would be more desirable,” the IEK stated.

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The IEK went on to state that it was also unfortunate that the government had gone for a foreign entity to improvise the JKIA when the necessary improvements can be done locally with local skills.

“When these assets are controlled by foreign commercial entities, the growth of local skills is hindered. This is because foreign management often prioritizes their own expertise and resources, limiting opportunities for local engineers to gain hands-on experience and build capacity,” the IEK stated.

The calls by the IEK came as a strike by the JKIA staff started, bringing the airport to a standstill. The strike started as workers under the Kenya Aviation Workers Union downed the tools in protest against the proposed controversial takeover of the JKIA by the Adani Airport Holdings.