Kenya: Strike at Nairobi’s Kenyatta International Airport Causes Flight Disruptions Amid Controversial Adani Group Deal

A strike by aviation workers at Kenya’s main international airport has led to significant flight delays and cancellations, affecting both departing and arriving passengers. The strike, which began at midnight on Tuesday, has disrupted operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, as well as regional airports in Kisumu and Mombasa.

The industrial action stems from opposition to a proposed 30-year lease agreement that would allow India’s Adani Group to take over and modernise JKIA. The deal, first announced in July, has faced intense criticism from the Kenya Aviation Workers Union, which fears the agreement could lead to job losses and the introduction of non-Kenyan workers.

On Wednesday morning, videos showed airport workers blowing plastic trumpets and chanting “Adani must go” during protests at JKIA. In response to the unrest, the Kenya Airports Authority said that minimal operations had resumed by 7:00 am, while efforts to normalise the situation continued.

The strike was further fuelled by a recent decision from Kenya’s high court, which on Monday temporarily blocked the Adani proposal. The court’s ruling came after a joint application by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), who argued that Kenya could independently raise the necessary $1.85 billion to upgrade JKIA without risking fiscal and job losses through the lease. The court has halted any further action on the Adani deal until a judicial review is completed.

The Kenya government has maintained that while the airport is operating beyond its capacity and is in need of modernisation, the facility is not for sale. The government has described the Adani deal as part of a proposed public-private partnership, with no final decision yet made. It has also assured that, if an agreement were to proceed, safeguards would be put in place to protect Kenya’s national interests.

Hundreds of passengers have been affected by the ongoing strike, with long queues forming outside JKIA’s terminal as operations stalled. Kenya Airways confirmed the flight delays and cancellations, with uncertainty lingering over the resumption of normal services.

The Adani Group has yet to comment on the situation, while the Kenya Airports Authority has refrained from discussing the court case. For now, the controversy surrounding the proposed deal has heightened tensions between the government and labour unions, with the situation closely watched as court proceedings unfold.