Protests against the Adani Group's proposed operations at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport could risk turning Kenyan public opinion against India, the Congress party has warned.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh pointed to widespread protests by workers' unions in Kenya, who are opposing the agreement that would see the Gautam Adani-led conglomerate take over key airport operations.
Ramesh, the party’s communications in-charge, took to social media to voice concern that the protests could escalate into anger towards India due to the known ties between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gautam Adani.
"The protests can therefore easily convert into anger against India and the Indian government," Ramesh posted.
"India’s soft power at risk"
India has long maintained a strong reputation in Africa, largely due to its strategic use of soft power. The Congress party has argued that Modi’s association with Adani is harming this image.
"Today, the PM’s collusion with the Adani Group has contributed to the diminishing of this strength and unprecedented reversals for India on the global stage," Ramesh added.
The controversy in Kenya revolves around a pending agreement that would allow Adani Airport Holdings to develop and manage Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya's largest airport.
Kenya's main aviation workers' union, which had initially announced a strike on August 19 to oppose the deal, later postponed it to review documents presented by the government.
Union outcry over job losses
The union has warned that if the deal goes ahead, it could result in job losses and the hiring of non-Kenyan workers, a development it finds unacceptable.
Reportedly the union has given the government a seven-day ultimatum to scrap the deal or face a renewed strike.
The Kenyan government has stated that the airport is not being sold and that no decision has been made regarding the deal for the renovation of the facility. However, these assurances have done little to calm public sentiment.
According to the Indian High Commission in Nairobi, around 20,000 Indian citizens and nearly 80,000 persons of Indian origin reside in Kenya. Any backlash could affect this sizeable community and bilateral relations.
Ramesh also pointed out that the controversy in Kenya is not isolated, citing similar disputes involving Adani Group projects in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
He claimed these controversies have “undermined our [India’s] national interest and contributed to bad outcomes for the country.”
In Bangladesh, the purchase of electricity from Adani Power’s coal plant in Jharkhand became a "flashpoint" in political unrest that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August, Ramesh noted.
Opposition parties in Bangladesh have criticised the deal as highly imbalanced, arguing that it forces Dhaka to buy power at inflated rates.
The memorandum of understanding between the Adani Group and the Bangladesh government was signed in 2015, shortly after a visit by Modi to Dhaka.
Controversy deepened last year when the Bangladesh Power Development Board requested a revision of the agreement, signalling that the deal may not be in Bangladesh's best interest.
In the wake of Sheikh Hasina's removal from power, India amended its export guidelines to allow Adani Power to sell electricity contracted for Bangladesh within India under certain circumstances. This was widely seen as a move to protect Adani Power from potential disruptions.
Adani's Sri Lankan projects
Similarly, Adani's renewable energy projects in Sri Lanka's Mannar district have not been without controversy.
Ramesh highlighted these projects as another example of how the conglomerate has become a contentious issue in neighbouring countries.
The projects were cited as part of the widespread protests against the Sri Lankan government in 2022, which eventually led to a regime change.
In June 2022, a senior Sri Lankan official alleged that Modi had “pressured” then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to award a power project to the Adani Group.
Although the official later retracted his statement, the episode further fuelled speculation about the undue influence of the Indian government on Sri Lankan affairs.
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