Aviation workers hold procession ahead of strike

By Peter Ochieng

Aviation workers under the leadership of the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) on Monday held a procession at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA, ahead of the start of their planned strike.

The industrial action is expected to start on Tuesday, September 03, 2024, unless an agreement is reached with the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) in the coming hours.

The workers have expressed their reservations against Public Private Partnership (PPP), which will see Indian-based Adani Group Holdings Limited take over operations at East Africa’s leading airport.

Carrying anti-Adani placards, they are of the opinion that the Adani deal poses a risk to their jobs in favour of foreign workers.

The employees have given the KAA management until the close of business Monday, to resolve their grievances, failure to which they commence their industrial action on Tuesday.

The procession reportedly led to delays of some flights.

“We are doing testing to ensure everything is okay before all systems go,” KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema said, while addressing the workers.

“If they do not heed to our demands we are back here tomorrow. 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,” he added.

He said any investor is welcome to JKIA, but should build their own terminal instead of taking over the existing ones. “We are not ready to surrender it to anyone. We are going to do this daily until Adani goes."

Addressing the workers, KAA Acting Managing Director Henry Ogoye, directed the workers to submit memoranda on their issues for them to respond.

During a town hall meeting in Mombasa in July, President William Ruto poured cold water on reports that the government was selling JKIA to foreign investors.

He said the government was only looking for investors who can work with the government to expand the airport and ensure it serves Kenyans better under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

"I have seen many people saying William Ruto wants to sell the airport (JKIA). Am I a madman? How do you sell a strategic national asset? You have to be insane. The airport is a strategic national asset. We want to work under the PPP Program to make the airport better."

"Let's be honest Kenyans, the airport we have in Nairobi is made of canvas. This is a temporary structure we built almost 7 years ago. Ethiopia has a brand-new airport. Rwanda the same. It is the reason why we need to work with investors to have a new airport in Nairobi," he added.