Kenyan President William Ruto (C) arrives to inspect a ceremonial honour guard at the Parliament buildings where he will deliver a State of the Nation address in Nairobi on November 21, 2024.
Kenyan President William Ruto sought Thursday to turn the page on a difficult year, cancelling controversial deals with India’s Adani Group and vowing to tackle corruption, police kidnappings and gender-based violence.
With the country on edge over multiple issues, there was a heavy police presence around parliament in Nairobi ahead of Ruto’s annual state of the nation address.
His speech did not shy away from the many controversies dogging his administration.
The biggest shock was his announcement that India’s Adani Group would no longer be involved in plans to expand Kenya’s electricity network and its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International.
The Adani Group was to invest $1.85 billion in the Jomo Kenyatta airport and $736 million in state-owned utility KETRACO, despite claims of corruption in the procurement process.
The final straw may have come when the Indian group’s founder Gautam Adani was charged in the United States on Wednesday with massive bribery and fraud.
Ruto said his decision was based on “new information provided by investigative agencies and partner nations”.
He also addressed the deep concern in Kenya over a spate of abductions by security forces following mass protests between June and August over an unpopular finance bill.
Rights groups accuse the security forces of a brutal crackdown, with more than 60 people killed during the protests and dozens kidnapped in the following months, many of them tortured and some killed.
Ruto said many of the detentions were legitimate actions against “criminals and subversive elements”.
