Kenya: Strike suspended at Nairobi’s Jomo-Kenyatta airport

In Kenya, staff at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport ended their strike on the evening of September 11. The strike, which began at midnight the previous day, was in protest of the planned concession of the airport to the Indian Adani group.
The deal would see the consortium operate the airport for thirty years in exchange for infrastructure expansion. Workers were concerned about job security but secured some guarantees during the night.
On September 11, an agreement was reached between the Kenyan airport authority, Kenya Airways, and the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU). The agreement provides KAWU with ten days to review the concession documents and identify any issues. A follow-up meeting will be held after this period.
The agreement specifies that no decisions will be made without KAWU’s involvement. KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema stated, “We haven’t agreed to Adani yet. We will have a veto right and our approval will be necessary for the process to continue.”
Meanwhile, President William Ruto, on his X feed (formerly Twitter), emphasized the benefits of partnering with the Adani Group, which he said would transform the airport into a world-class facility. The expansion project, which involves an investment of over 1.5 billion euros, is a significant development for Nairobi’s airport.