The Kenya Aviation Workers Union has issued a strike notice, which is set to take effect early next week, protesting against a proposed development deal at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport involving India’s Adani Airport Holdings.
The strike is likely to paralyze operations at one of the busiest travel hubs in the region and has huge ramifications for Kenya Airways.
The union is opposed to the deal because, in their opinion, it is an “unlawful intended sale” of JKIA. In the proposed partnership, they say that there will be loss of jobs and the employment of non-Kenyan workers.
“We shall reconsider our intention to engage in industrial action. only if the Adani Airport Holdings Limited’s deal is abandoned in its entirety,” said Moss Ndiema, Secretary General of the union.
The Kenyan government, however, has outrightly rubbished reports of any such intention to sell the airport. Officials have characterized it as a public-private partnership designed to modernize the facility.
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) said Adani would add another runway and improve the passenger terminal.
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The KAA spokesperson, Elijah Miano, confirmed the strike notice on Monday, hoping that the industrial action can be called off through some negotiation.
The deal has become even more controversial due to a youth-led protest movement that started in June over proposed tax hikes, terming the Adani deal opaque and previously trying to shut down JKIA.
The government recently said the proposed upgrading at JKIA is long overdue, as it is handling more passengers than its capacity of 7.5 million passengers annually. It has been experiencing leaking roofs, among other challenges, which have caused international embarrassment.
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