A strike action by workers at Kenya’s main international airport has led to flight cancellation and suspension for both arrivals and departures. The workers went on strike to show their resentment towards a proposed deal for India’s Adani Group to lease Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for 30 years.
The Aviation Workers Union argue that the agreement with Adani Group will lead to job losses and bring in non-Kenyan workers into the aviation sector. In response, the Kenyan government says the lease agreement was necessary as the airport was already operating above its capacity and needs mordernizing.
The government also says that no decision has been made on whether to proceed with what it calls a proposed public-private partnership to upgrade the site.
Airline employees have been protesting for the past few weeks against the proposed lease of JKIA to Indian airport operator Adani Group. Last month, they called off a strike scheduled to begin on September 1, 2024 to review the lease documents provided by the State Government regarding the contract.
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The Kenya Aviation Workers Union have now said the strike would continue until the central government withdraws its plan to lease the airport to the Adani Group for 30 years in return for a $1.85 billion investment.
Security agents have been deployed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to prevent further escalation following the disruption of operations.
