Acting CEO accused of running corruption cartel as whistleblowers reveal massive procurement fraud and international sanctions
Kenya’s aviation sector is reeling from explosive revelations that have placed Kenya Airports Authority acting Managing Director Dr. Mohamud M. Gedi at the center of a sprawling corruption scandal involving irregular tenders, abuse of office, and alleged links to narcotics trafficking through the country’s busiest airport.
In what amounts to one of the most brazen cases of procurement fraud in recent memory, The Star has established that Dr. Gedi personally authorized a staggering Sh243 million payment to a politically connected law firm for legal services initially budgeted at just Sh12.5 million, representing a jaw-dropping 1,845 percent cost explosion that has left taxpayers footing a colossal bill.
The payment to Triple OK Law Advocates LLP, a recently incorporated firm with shadowy political ties, was made through direct procurement in what insiders describe as a deliberate circumvention of competitive bidding rules meant to benefit a select few at public expense.
Documents seen by The Star reveal that Dr. Gedi sought retrospective approval for the expenditure on September 25, 2025, after the money had already been committed, raising serious questions about whether oversight institutions at KAA exist in anything more than name.
US SLAMS DOOR ON GEDI
The scandal has taken a dramatic international dimension after it emerged that Dr. Gedi was denied entry into the United States under Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, a provision typically invoked when applicants pose national security concerns or have integrity issues.
The visa refusal came ahead of a critical aviation security meeting with the US Transportation Security Administration scheduled for September 25, 2025, during the 41st ICAO Assembly in Montreal, a meeting Dr. Gedi was forced to miss.
Sources close to the matter have told Kenya Insights that American authorities flagged Dr. Gedi’s application over suspected corruption in aviation procurement and possible ties to narcotics activities, concerns that gained traction after 20 kilograms of cocaine trafficked through JKIA was seized at London’s Heathrow Airport last month.
The development sent shockwaves through the Ministry of Transport, with Aviation Principal Secretary Teresia Mbaika reportedly summoning Dr. Gedi to an emergency Sunday meeting at her office as panic gripped senior officials fearing a looming shakeup at KAA.
CULTURE OF IMPUNITY
The Star has obtained damning testimonies from multiple KAA employees who paint a picture of an institution held hostage by an iron-fisted leader who brooks no dissent and treats public resources as his personal war chest.
“You cannot question him. He keeps saying he is the government and that money answers everything,” a senior staff member revealed on condition of anonymity. “He is the reason Wilson Airport is in such a sorry state. Complaints about facilities go unanswered because decisions are made by one office without consultation.”
Insiders claim that lucrative tenders worth millions have been channeled to politically connected individuals, including a sitting governor from the North Eastern region, in deals that allegedly bypassed standard procurement procedures entirely.
The revelations have also exposed how Dr. Gedi allegedly secured his acting CEO position through a Sh70 million arrangement rather than a transparent selection process, casting doubt on the legitimacy of his tenure from the outset.
ADANI SAGA RETURNS TO HAUNT KAA
The Sh243 million legal fee was ostensibly meant to defend KAA against five petitions challenging the now-cancelled Adani Group proposal to lease JKIA for 30 years in exchange for Sh246 billion in upgrades.
The deal, which collapsed in November 2024 after US prosecutors indicted Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani for alleged bribery, has cost Kenyan taxpayers upwards of Sh500 million in legal fees, application costs, and administrative expenses for contracts that were ultimately scrapped.
Constitutional lawyer Karanja Matindi has questioned why the Attorney General’s office, which is constitutionally mandated under Article 156 to represent government entities, was bypassed entirely in favor of a private firm with questionable credentials.
“This is outrageous. The accountable person should be required to make good this loss of public funds,” Matindi said.
The tender process itself was farcical. Opened on January 23, 2025, it attracted exactly one bid. When the evaluation committee recommended re-tendering due to budget constraints, officials overruled the decision, citing urgency and securing a token 10 percent price reduction that still left taxpayers liable for hundreds of millions.
EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT AT MOMBASA
Investigations have also revealed similar irregularities at Moi International Airport in Mombasa, where tenders were processed under what insiders describe as emergency procurement, even when the situations did not appear to constitute genuine emergencies.
Critics have pointed out that the pattern of abuse suggests a coordinated scheme to bypass accountability mechanisms across KAA’s operations, with Dr. Gedi at the epicenter.
Whistleblower Nelson Amenya, whose revelations first torpedoed the Adani deal, has called for citizens to mount a counter petition to compel personal accountability from KAA officials under constitutional provisions allowing Parliament to require accounting officers to personally compensate for financial losses.
CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION
Civil society groups and transparency watchdogs are now demanding urgent intervention from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, which has remained conspicuously silent despite mounting evidence of procurement fraud.
“Our Constitution is supreme. Integrity is the cornerstone of leadership. Chapter Six is clear and we will ensure those abusing public office are removed,” said a senior civil society member.
Parliamentary oversight committees have been urged to summon KAA officials for testimony as pressure mounts for Dr. Gedi and other implicated officers to step aside pending investigations.
For ordinary Kenyans grappling with the high cost of living, the Sh243 million legal fee represents far more than wasted money. It symbolizes a governance system where accountability remains elusive and public resources are treated as personal piggy banks by those entrusted to safeguard them.
The question now is whether this scandal will finally produce consequences or merely add another chapter to Kenya’s long history of procurement controversies that generate outrage but deliver little reform.
With Kenya’s airports serving as crucial gateways for tourism and trade, the integrity of those managing them has never been more critical. As international partners watch closely and domestic pressure builds, Dr. Gedi’s days at the helm of KAA may be numbered.
