A significant service disruption hit the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi on Monday morning, as dozens of passengers faced extended delays and were left stranded amidst a growing standoff between the government and the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU). The unrest stems from KAWU’s ongoing opposition to the proposed takeover of JKIA by Adani Holdings, an issue that has sparked escalating tensions and frustration among airport staff and travelers alike.
The chaos at JKIA was triggered by KAWU’s decision to march to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) to present their grievances. According to Moses Ndiema, the KAWU Secretary General, the union organized a slow procession from Terminal 1A to the office of the acting KAA Managing Director, Henry Ogoye. Ndiema clarified that the demonstration was not an official strike but rather a means to address their concerns with airport management. The union’s members had met on Saturday to discuss their next steps, and it was resolved that while the strike was on hold, a peaceful protest was necessary to express their dissatisfaction.
KAWU’s protest centered on several key issues, including the presence of Adani representatives at JKIA. The union has raised concerns over security, accusing the Adani personnel of taking unauthorized photographs of the airport. “They are currently roaming around taking pictures everywhere,” Ndiema revealed. “This is a threat to us and to our security. Who knows what they want to do with the pictures; they could be selling them to others.” The union demanded that these representatives vacate the airport immediately, citing the risk these actions pose.
The dispute has also brought to light grievances regarding the transparency and completeness of information provided by the government. KAWU has expressed frustration over the government’s response to their demands, noting that they received only five out of the eleven documents requested concerning the Adani deal. Moreover, some of the documents provided were not even signed. “We were only given five documents by the government out of the eleven that we were supposed to be given, and out of the five, some had not even been signed,” Ndiema explained.
The union’s dissatisfaction extends to the state privatisation committee’s involvement in the due diligence process for the takeover. KAWU is demanding that members of this committee refrain from participating in the trip to India, where discussions about the takeover are to be held. The union argues that the engagement with Adani Holdings should be halted, asserting that the foreign representatives do not understand local issues, including language barriers such as Kiswahili.
KAWU’s stance is firm: if their grievances are not addressed by the end of the day, the union will have no choice but to initiate an industrial action. The union’s leaders have made it clear that their patience is wearing thin, and the potential for a full-scale strike looms if the government fails to meet their demands.
As tensions rise, the disruption at JKIA highlights the broader conflict between the government and KAWU over the future of Kenya’s major international airport. The situation remains fluid, with the union’s actions poised to significantly impact both airport operations and passenger experiences. The resolution of this dispute will be crucial in determining the future management and security of JKIA, as well as the broader implications for Kenya’s aviation sector.
