Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo has vehemently opposed plans by the Kenya Airways to take over the management of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Kabogo observed the national carrier has been on a loss-making spree and, therefore, cannot be expected to steer JKIA to financial stability.
In a tweet on Friday, the former county boss said the multi-billion deal was suspect and it was unheard-of for a national airline to be put in the management of an airport.
"Why should KQ take over JKIA? If its record is anything to go by, you can rest assured it’ll collapse. Where in the world has a national airline managed an airport? Wacheni kutufanya mafala! (Stop assuming we are idiots!), said Kabogo.
The takeover plan where KQ is expected to run JKIA for 30 years has been linked to President Uhuru Kenyatta's family Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA).
The struggling KQ owes CBA a debt amounting to Sh3.1 billion which the bank is said to be eager to recover through the takeover.
To make the deal more suspect, Kenya Airways Authority (KAA) board chairman Isaac Awuondo, who is reportedly pushing the takeover, is CBA's Group Chief Executive.
During a House committee sitting on Thursday, Budalang’i MP Raphael Wanjala alleged State House was part of the mega deal.
"We are now being told, through the minutes of KAA’s board, that the highest office is in charge of this project. They want to use KAA to salvage their banks since KQ is sinking," Wanjala said.
In the meantime, the National Assembly Public Investments Committee (PIC) has suspended the takeover process until the office of the Auditor-General gives a detailed forensic audit report on the deal.
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