Kenya airport workers strike over takeover bid by India’s Adani Group

Protest by hundreds of workers disrupts flights and leaves passengers stranded in one of Africa’s busiest travel hubs.

Passengers wait at a closed door at the departures terminal of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on September 11, 2024

Hundreds of staff at Kenya’s main airport have gone on strike over a planned buyout by India’s Adani Group, grounding flights and leaving passengers stranded.

Workers at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) began their protest at about midnight (21:00 GMT) on Tuesday, continuing into Wednesday, objecting to a planned deal to lease the facility to the Adani Group for 30 years in return for an investment of $1.85bn.

The government said the build-and-operate agreement with the Indian conglomerate would see JKIA renovated and an additional runway and terminal constructed.

The Kenya Airport Workers Union, which is leading the strike and is the biggest union representing Kenya’s aviation workers, said the deal would cut jobs and worsen employment conditions.

Other critics said the takeover would deny taxpayers future profits from the airport, whose freight and passenger fees make up more than 5 percent of Kenya’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“The strike is on, and all shifts have been suspended,” union leader Moses Ndiema told workers at the airport.