Turmoil at Kenyan Airport as Workers Strike Over Adani Agreement

NAIROBI, Kenya — Workers at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) have downed tools, throwing the airport into disarray. Numerous flights have been halted, leaving passengers high and dry.

The catalyst of this upheaval is a brewing deal with India’s Adani Group, poised to lease the airport’s operations for three decades. In return, there’d be upgrades: a new terminal and an upgraded runway.

The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) is sounding the alarm, worried stiff about job security and deteriorating working conditions. Thus, the union has hoisted the strike banner.

This crackling tension follows a temporary judicial stop by the High Court, spurred by lawsuits claiming murky transparency and an alleged breach of governance standards.

JKIA’s plight, marking it as one of Africa’s busiest airports, stirs the pot on how controversial this pact is. Workers and activists argue it endangers national resources and labor rights.