Looming Showdown As KAA Workers Vow To Shut Down JKIA On Tuesday

After staging a procession on Monday, September 2 at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, workers at the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) have vowed to paralyse all operations on Tuesday, September 3, 2024.

The staff took to the streets on Monday morning in response to the government’s plan to lease JKIA to India’s Adani Airport Holdings Limited, demanding answers from the relevant state institutions.

Led by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) Secretary General Moses Ndiema, the workers carried placards, while condemning the Public Private Partnership (PPP) deal, which would see Adani Group Holdings take control of East Africa’s busiest airport.

ICYMI: KAA staff protesting at JKIA over Adani airport takeover#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/N9mzDGXTU3
— Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) September 2, 2024

During their protest, they chanted “Adani must go” as they marched back to their workstations, arguing that the deal with Adani posed a threat to their jobs, favouring foreign workers over local employees.

Amidst their protest, service disruptions were witnessed at JKIA after dozens of passengers were either left stranded or took long hours undergoing check-in and check-out processes. Viral Tea observed that several flights were delayed as a result of the industrial action.

The staff who had converged at the KAA head office voiced their concerns before being addressed by the KAA acting managing director Henry Ogoye.

“Tunafanya testing, testing…tuone kila kitu iko sawa (we are doing testing…so that we determine that everything is set) before it is all systems go,” Ndiema said in his address to the workers after the meeting, adding “If they do not heed to our demands we are back here tomorrow.”

He praised the workers for their efforts, saying, “I am proud of you because of the work you have done today. All those who have participated have done a good job. We are making an effort to stop the loss of JKIA.”

Ndiema argued that JKIA is financially self-sufficient and capable of funding its modernisation, including expansion plans, adding that any new investor should focus on building a new terminal at JKIA rather than taking over existing operations.

“We are not ready to surrender it to anyone. We are going to do this daily until Adani goes,” he added.

KAWU has consistently opposed the proposal by Adani to manage JKIA. Ndiema reiterated the Union’s determination to halt the project and called for an immediate cessation of all ongoing stakeholder engagements.

“We were given the Adani concession agreement, KAA feasibility study, and some other documents. We have deliberated about the issue, and we resolve that we will make a further delay on our strike action,” Ndiema explained.

On August 18, KAA assured members of the public and stakeholders that operations at JKIA and all Kenyan airports as well as airstrips would continue as usual following KAWU’s previous announcement postponing the strike for the third time.

KAWU issued a formal seven days’ strike notice on August 12, to both KAA and national airline Kenya Airways (KQ) on their intention to paralyse operations over the planned JKIA deal.