Striking Kenya airport staff to resume work

A general view of parked Kenya Airways planes at Jommo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi on September 11, 2024. (Photo by SIMON MAINA / AFP)

Nairobi, Kenya — Employees at Kenya’s main airport called off their day-long strike which had stranded thousands of passengers as scores of flights were cancelled or delayed, union leaders said on Wednesday.

The decision came after they reached an agreement with the management, brokered by ministry of transport officials and the umbrella trade union organisation.

“We have agreed. We have an agreement on a return-to-work formula,” Transport Minister Davis Chirchir told reporters at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

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Members of the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWI) downed tools over a planned takeover of JKIA, one of Africa’s busiest hubs, by Indian firm Adani.

The union called on the government to scrap the plan to lease the airport to Adani for 30 years in exchange for a $1.85-billion investment.

“We have not said that we have accepted Adani. We will be given veto powers and our signature will be needed for the process to move forward,” KAWI leader Moss Ndiema said.

“If it is a bad deal, we will not sign.”

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Francis Atwoli, secretary general of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions, said they had been presented with the documents of the investment deal which they will study before deciding on the next course of action.

“We undertake to go through them within 10 days and flat out arrears of our concern,” he said, adding that no worker will be punished for the strike.

‘Minimal operations’

The walk-out by the aviation workers’ union began at midnight and severely disrupted flights.

The Kenya Airports Authority said “minimal operations” resumed at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) but data from Flight Radar showed delays and several cancellations for flights in and out of the airport.

One stranded passenger, Elvis Mushengu, told AFP he had been waiting through the night.

“They closed the doors at around 12 (midnight),” he said. “We don’t know who’s doing the screening or what the procedure is… We’ve not slept, we’re just tired.”

Critics say the plan to lease JKIA to Adani will lead to job losses for local staff and rob taxpayers of future airport profits.

Freight and passenger fees from the airport account for more than five percent of Kenya’s GDP.

Kenya’s government has defended the Adani deal as necessary to refurbish JKIA and its terms were still being negotiated.

“This proposal is undergoing thorough due process, including stakeholder engagement, national treasury approval, and cabinet clearance,” deputy government spokesman Gabriel Muthuma said on X.

“No terms have been agreed upon, and all aspects are subject to negotiation.”

JKIA handled 8.8 million passengers and 380,000 tonnes of cargo in 2022-2023 but is often hit by power outages and leaking roofs.

Adani would add a second runway and upgrade the passenger terminal, according to the Kenya Airports Authority.

Tourism is a major contributor to the Kenyan economy, accounting for more than 10 percent of GDP in 2022, according to government figures.

The Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission won a delay on the Adani deal from the High Court on Monday, arguing that it lacked “transparency”.

A date for a final verdict on the deal has yet to be set.