Nairobi (AFP) – Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Kenya’s main airport on Wednesday as staff went on an open-ended strike over a planned takeover by an Indian company. The walk-out by the Kenyan Aviation Workers Union began at midnight, severely disrupting flights at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), one of Africa’s busiest hubs. The union said the strike would continue until the government scrapped a plan to lease the airport to India’s Adani Group for 30 years in exchange for a $1.85-billion investment.
“The strike is on and all shifts have been suspended,” union leader Moses Ndiema told workers at the airport. “Adani must go, that is not optional,” he said. The Kenya Airports Authority said “minimal operations” had resumed at 7:00 am (0400 GMT) but data from Flight Radar showed delays and several cancellations for flights in and out of the airport. Kenya’s aviation regulator said air navigation services were “fully operational and remain unaffected.”
“Aircraft operations — both take-offs and landings — are being handled without delays, and efforts are underway to address any backlog swiftly,” the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement, describing the strike as “unlawful.” Kenyan low-cost airline Jambojet said a terminal handling mostly domestic flights resumed operations at 11:45 am (0845 GMT) with nearly a dozen flights rescheduled.
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. 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.”
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 2022-23, 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.
© 2024 AFP
