Kenya canceled two major deals with India’s Adani Group, raising questions about its shifting international alliances. The first canceled deal, worth $700 million, involved the construction of power transmission lines. The price of the second agreement was 1.8 billion dollars and it involved an international airport.
There was a Chinese company competing for these contracts. Kenyan President William Ruto’s visit to Beijing two months ago proved to be a turning point. During this visit, Ruto sealed lucrative deals with China, which were widely praised in the Kenyan media as a “gift” from Beijing.
Analysts say Kenya’s cancellation was due to geopolitical narratives created by American deep state organizations backed by China. The move appears to further strengthen Kenya’s alliance with China, raising concerns about growing Chinese influence in Africa and its potential benefits for the United States.
Is Adani Group in the global target?
The cancellation of the agreements fits the nature of the efforts directed at the Adani Group. The allegations against the Adani Group point to a coalition of Chinese interests, global NGOs and international institutions, which are working to undermine Adani’s projects domestically and internationally.
In July 2024, senior lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani alleged that a businessman with ties to China had ordered the Hindenburg Research report, leading to a sharp drop in Adani Group shares in January 2023. Jethmalani claimed that Chinese spy Annala Cheng and her husband Mark Kingdon had hired Hindenburg to prepare a damaging report on Adani.
Also read: Rs 5.35 lakh crore lost in a day due to allegations against Adani Group in US, political turmoil breaks out again ahead of Parliament session
What does it mean for India?
An important question for India is why its leaders criticize Adani’s involvement in strategically important global projects, especially when they compete directly with Chinese companies. Such cancellation of agreements not only weakens India’s strategic position but also promotes China’s growing dominance in areas such as Africa.
The developments in Kenya point to a similar pattern seen in other regions such as Bangladesh, where actions taken by the United States indirectly affected India’s interests. The celebratory tone of Kenyan parliamentarians following the cancellation of these contracts indicates a major victory for China in the global strategic race.
For India, this is another challenge to counter China’s growing influence and protect its economic and geopolitical interests abroad.
