Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi has criticized Kenya Airways' proposed takeover of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), calling it a potential corruption scheme involving the president's family-owned Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA). The allegations emerged during a press conference on March 7, 2019, when Mudavadi accused the government of prioritizing private interests over public welfare.
Mudavadi questioned the transparency of the deal, stating, "Must they bleed the country up to its very last drop of blood to feed their thirst for wealth?" He emphasized that the merger between Kenya Airways and JKIA lacked public scrutiny and raised concerns about the financial burden on taxpayers.
The opposition leader also condemned the government's handling of an aviation workers' strike, which occurred days earlier. He criticized the lack of dialogue with the Kenya Aviation Workers Union, asserting, "The people in charge of industrial relations in Government should have been sacked by now."
The controversy coincided with Kenya's recent expansion of direct flights to the United States, prompting Mudavadi to ask, "What message is the Government giving to those who opened up the US market to them?" He noted that Kenya Airways, a publicly traded company, should not be subject to such opaque corporate maneuvers.
The original report referenced a 2012 copyright notice, indicating long-standing concerns about corporate governance in Kenyan aviation.
