Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) workers plan to paralyze all operations on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, in protest of the government’s plan to lease Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the Indian firm Adani Holdings Limited.
The staff took to the streets early Monday morning, demanding answers from the relevant state institutions. Led by Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) Secretary General Moss Ndiema, the workers carried placards condemning the Public Private Partnership (PPP) deal, which would give Adani Group Holdings control over East Africa’s busiest airport.
During their protest, the workers chanted “Adani must go” as they marched back to their workstations. They argue that the deal threatens their jobs and favors foreign workers over local employees. The workers gave KAA management until the end of business on Monday to address their grievances.
Ndiema warned that Tuesday’s strike would be more intense, describing Monday’s action as a “test run.”
“Tunafanya testing, testing… tuone kila kitu iko sawa before it is all systems go. If they do not heed our demands, we will be back here tomorrow,” he said.
He praised the workers for their efforts, stating, “I am proud of you for the work you have done today. All those who participated have done a good job. We are making an effort to stop the loss of JKIA.”
Ndiema emphasized that JKIA is financially self-sufficient and can fund its own modernization, including expansion plans. He argued that any new investor should focus on building a new terminal at JKIA rather than taking over existing operations.
“We are not ready to surrender it to anyone. We are going to do this daily until Adani goes,” he added.
Ndiema reiterated KAWU’s determination to halt the project and called for an immediate end to all ongoing stakeholder engagements.
