Another Wave Of Travel Disruptions Expected At Kenya Busiest Airport As 500 Employees Demand Justice And Kaa Board Resignation Over Unresolved Issues: Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Published on September 24, 2025

Another recreation disruption is group to stone Kenya arsenic nan Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) has issued a seven-day onslaught notice, demanding nan resignation of nan Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) committee complete unresolved labour disputes and nan fallout from a canceled airdrome leasing deal. This business action could severely disrupt operations astatine Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, 1 of Africa’s busiest aviation hubs, affecting some home and world flights. With complete 500 labor progressive and concerns complete occupation security, unpaid overtime, and nan arguable Adani deal, nan looming onslaught threatens to person wide implications for Kenya’s aviation sector.

A looming onslaught action by nan Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) threatens to disrupt operations astatine Kenya’s busiest airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), pinch nan national demanding nan resignation of nan Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) board. This business action could escalate into 1 of nan astir important disruptions to aviation operations successful nan region, affecting millions of passengers walking done 1 of Africa’s busiest aviation hubs.

KAWU, which represents aviation workers crossed respective Kenyan airports, issued a seven-day announcement for nan onslaught connected Tuesday, marking nan opening of what could beryllium a prolonged conflict for labour authorities and occupation security. The union’s demands are not constricted to nan resignation of nan KAA board, but besides reside captious issues surrounding worker rights, occupation security, and unresolved labour disputes.

KAWU Secretary General Moses Ndiema has been astatine nan forefront of these protests, expressing vexation pinch nan existent authorities of affairs wrong Kenya’s aviation sector. Ndiema emphasized that nan planned onslaught could return spot astatine immoderate clip aft nan expiration of nan announcement period, which is group for October 1, 2025. This uncertainty astir nan commencement day has added a furniture of hostility to nan situation, pinch nan anticipation of contiguous disruption hanging successful nan balance.

The Root Causes: Unresolved Labor Disputes and nan Scrapped Adani Deal

The superior logic down nan onslaught action stems from a operation of unresolved labour disputes and nan fallout from a canceled airdrome leasing woody that had important implications for Kenya’s aviation industry. These issues person created a volatile situation that has led to wide dissatisfaction among airdrome workers, who are now demanding much than conscionable administrative action—they are calling for systemic reforms wrong nan Kenya Airports Authority.

One of nan halfway issues is nan nonaccomplishment to person complete 500 statement labor into permanent, pensionable roles. These labor person been moving connected impermanent contracts for years, often without nan information of semipermanent employment benefits. The deficiency of occupation information has led to wide dissatisfaction, and nan national is pressing for these workers to beryllium permanently absorbed into nan workforce pinch pension benefits.

In summation to nan employment position of these workers, KAWU is besides protesting nan transportation of nan Ground Flight Safety section from KAA to nan Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA). This displacement is viewed by nan national arsenic a nonstop threat to nan livelihoods of workers, galore of whom fearfulness occupation losses and reduced benefits. The transfer, which would fundamentally move power of formation information operations to different governmental body, has sparked a activity of interest among airdrome unit who judge this move is not successful their champion interest.

Furthermore, nan conflict besides highlights nan rumor of unpaid overtime. Workers astatine Wilson Airport, different cardinal aviation hub successful Kenya, person reportedly not received their overtime payments for nan past six months. This rumor of delayed compensation has only fueled nan workers’ frustrations, starring them to request contiguous action.

The Adani Deal Fallout

A important facet of nan labour unrest is nan fallout from nan canceled airdrome leasing woody pinch nan Adani Group, a awesome Indian conglomerate led by billionaire Gautam Adani. The deal, which was initially projected arsenic a lease statement for Kenya’s flagship airport, raised awesome concerns wrong nan labour community, peculiarly complete nan imaginable nonaccomplishment of jobs and nan power of 1 of Kenya’s cardinal nationalist assets.

Last year, nan workers astatine Jomo Kenyatta International Airport staged a day-long onslaught successful protestation of nan scheme to lease nan airdrome to nan Adani Group. At nan time, location was wide interest that specified a woody would lead to nan privatization of nan airport, risking nan jobs of thousands of workers while giving power of a nationalist assets to a overseas entity.

The business took a melodramatic move erstwhile nan United States Department of Justice indicted Gautam Adani and respective different individuals successful relationship pinch allegations of bribing Indian authorities officials. According to reports, nan Adani Group was accused of paying astir $265 cardinal successful bribes to facilitate its business operations. While nan Adani Group has denied these claims, nan fallout from nan allegations led nan Kenyan authorities to reconsider nan airdrome leasing deal, which was yet scrapped.

However, contempt nan cancellation of nan deal, nan repercussions are still being felt wrong nan aviation sector. KAWU Secretary General Moses Ndiema has many times accused nan KAA committee of incompetence, alleging that their nonaccomplishment to reside nan concerns of workers—especially regarding occupation security—has led to a situation successful nan aviation industry.

In a missive dated September 23, seen by Reuters, Ndiema based on that nan KAA committee had grounded to enactment successful nan champion interests of Kenya, and its continued activity was unacceptable. The missive emphasized that nan projected leasing woody had sparked wide mistrust among nan workers, and that immoderate further failures to reside nan workers’ grievances would time off them pinch nary prime but to edifice to business action.

The Strike Notice and nan Impact connected Kenyan Aviation

The seven-day onslaught announcement issued by KAWU sets nan shape for what could beryllium a awesome disruption to aviation successful Kenya, peculiarly astatine Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. As Kenya’s superior world gateway and 1 of Africa’s busiest airports, immoderate onslaught action has nan imaginable to origin important chaos, affecting some home and world flights.

The timing of nan onslaught is critical, arsenic Kenya is group to participate a highest recreation period. As a awesome hub for location flights, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport handles hundreds of flights daily, connecting passengers from crossed Africa and beyond. A onslaught astatine this airdrome would not only impact nan millions of passengers who trust connected it for their recreation needs, but it would besides origin disruptions to airlines and businesses limited connected nan soft cognition of nan airport.

The effects of a prolonged onslaught could ripple crossed nan wider East African region, impacting neighboring countries for illustration Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Rwanda, who trust connected Kenya arsenic a cardinal transit constituent for aerial travel. This disruption could besides harm Kenya’s estimation arsenic a cardinal aviation hub successful Africa, undermining years of advancement successful expanding aerial recreation routes and boosting location trade.

The Response from Kenya Airports Authority

At nan clip of nan onslaught notice, nan Kenya Airports Authority had yet to respond to media inquiries aliases make a nationalist connection regarding nan planned business action. This deficiency of connection has only served to heighten tensions, pinch workers emotion progressively disappointment by nan perceived inaction of their employers.

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) is responsible for nan guidance and cognition of respective airports successful Kenya, including Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Wilson Airport. The KAA’s inability to resoluteness these labour disputes successful a timely mode has raised questions astir its competence and capacity to efficaciously negociate Kenya’s aviation infrastructure.

The KAA has faced disapproval successful nan past for its handling of labour relations, pinch respective strikes and protests taking spot complete nan years. However, this existent conflict is peculiarly important owed to nan standard of nan issues progressive and nan imaginable effect connected Kenya’s nationalist economy.

As nan timepiece ticks down connected nan seven-day announcement issued by KAWU, nan business remains tense. Aviation workers are resolute successful their demands, and KAWU has made it clear that immoderate nonaccomplishment to meet their demands will consequence successful an contiguous onslaught action. With nan early of complete 500 workers astatine liking and nan ongoing fallout from nan Adani leasing deal, nan Kenyan authorities and KAA must enactment swiftly to reside nan workers’ grievances earlier nan business escalates further.

Another recreation disruption is group to deed Kenya arsenic nan Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) announces a onslaught complete unresolved labour disputes and nan fallout from a canceled airdrome leasing deal. This action, involving complete 500 workers, threatens to disrupt operations astatine Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, 1 of Africa’s busiest aviation hubs.

Should nan onslaught proceed, nan repercussions for Kenya’s aviation industry, location travel, and nan livelihoods of thousands of workers could beryllium severe. The solution of this labour conflict will require observant negotiation, transparency, and a committedness to ensuring that nan interests of Kenyan workers are decently safeguarded. The world is watching arsenic Kenya stands astatine a crossroads, pinch nan imaginable to either resoluteness its labour issues aliases look a important setback successful its ambitions arsenic a cardinal aviation hub successful Africa.