During his State of the Nation address in Parliament on Thursday, November 21, the President explained that the decision was driven by credible evidence or information indicating corruption within the dealings.
“I have stated before, and I reaffirm today, that when faced with undisputed evidence or credible information on corruption, I will not hesitate to take decisive action,” President Ruto declared.
He emphasized that the termination of contractual engagements with the Adani Group was prompted by key transparency concerns, which the agreements had failed to uphold.
President Ruto Orders Cancellation of Adani Deals Amid Corruption Allegations
President William Ruto has directed the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum to immediately cancel the ongoing procurement process for the JKIA Expansion Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and the recently concluded KETRACO transmission line PPP contract. This move follows new information provided by investigative agencies and partner nations.
“In line with the principles of transparency and accountability enshrined in Article 10 of the Constitution, and based on credible information from our investigative agencies, I direct the procuring agencies to cancel these agreements and begin the process of seeking alternative partners,” President Ruto stated.
The President’s announcement comes less than a day after directors of the Adani Group were indicted in a U.S. federal court on corruption charges related to a Ksh32 billion bribery case. Gautam Adani, the group’s CEO, along with seven other senior executives, faces charges from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for allegedly bribing Indian officials.
The indictment claims that the Adani Group used bribes to manipulate officials into misleading U.S. investors and securing green energy contracts for the group’s subsidiary, Adani Green. According to CNN, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lisa Miller confirmed that these bribes were part of efforts to deceive investors and banks, raising billions of dollars and obstructing justice.
“This indictment alleges schemes to pay over $250 million (approximately Ksh32 billion) in bribes to Indian officials. These offences were allegedly committed by senior executives and directors to obtain and finance massive state energy supply contracts through corruption and fraud, at the expense of U.S. investors,” Miller said.
President Ruto’s directive follows remarks made by Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi earlier that day. During a Senate Committee on Finance meeting, Wandayi had defended the government’s engagement with Adani, asserting that due diligence had been thoroughly conducted.
Wandayi explained that under Section 41 of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act, a detailed due diligence process was carried out in coordination with KETRACO. “The PPP Directorate, under the Treasury, conducted a two-phase due diligence exercise on Adani Energy Solutions,” he stated.