HUNDREDS of passengers were left stranded at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Wednesday as aviation workers went on strike, protesting a proposed 30-year lease of the airport to India’s Adani Group. The strike, which saw workers deliberately slow down operations, led to long queues, flight cancellations, and significant delays.
The Kenya Aviation Workers’ Union has criticised the lease deal as ‘opaque’ and warned it could lead to job losses. The union’s concerns were echoed by other civil society groups, including the Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission, who argue that leasing a strategic national asset to a private company is unreasonable.
In the early hours of Wednesday, dozens of airport workers gathered outside JKIA, blowing plastic trumpets and chanting ‘Adani must go,’ according to footage aired on Citizen TV. The video also appeared to show a police officer striking a protester with a baton, heightening tensions.
The strike caused widespread disruption, with many passengers left in limbo. Wilma van Altena, a Dutch tourist who had cut short her holiday in Kenya for a family funeral, described the chaos to the BBC: ‘It’s been chaotic… there were hundreds of people outside the airport when we arrived. We stood around for ages before eventually getting inside. There’s no information, nothing on the boards. I have no idea when I’ll be able to get home.’
The Zimbabwe men’s football team was also caught in the disruption. The squad, travelling back to Harare after an African Cup of Nations qualifier in Uganda, was left stranded with no information about their onward flight.
Stewart Maclean, a BBC reporter waiting for his flight, described the scene at JKIA as ‘calm but frustrating,’ with both passengers and airline staff, including cabin crew and pilots, among those waiting for updates.
According to reports, by 04:00 GMT (07:00 local time), ‘minimal operations’ had resumed, according to the Kenya Airports Authority, which said it was engaging with the relevant parties to resolve the situation. However, Kenya Airways CEO Allan Kilavuka said that only a third of its scheduled flights had departed by Wednesday morning.
The strike, which has also affected other airports across Kenya, comes after the government failed to disclose full details of the proposed deal with the Adani Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates. The deal would see the Adani Group invest $1.85bn in upgrades to JKIA, including a new runway and an improved passenger terminal, in exchange for a 30-year lease.
Opponents of the deal are concerned about the Adani Group’s controversial reputation. Founded by billionaire Gautam Adani, the group has faced accusations of benefiting from close ties with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi—claims the group denies. Last year, a US-based investment firm accused the conglomerate of engaging in stock manipulation and accounting fraud, prompting an investigation by India’s market regulator.
In response to public outcry, Kenya’s High Court temporarily halted the deal to allow for a judicial review. The court is yet to set a final date for the decision, but opposition to the takeover has been mounting. Protests against the deal have been ongoing since July, with demonstrators warning that they would shut down JKIA if the lease goes ahead.
Despite the controversy, the Kenyan government has defended the plan, arguing that private investment is crucial for upgrading the airport, which is said to be operating beyond capacity. Officials believe the lease deal will help transform JKIA into a world-class facility capable of handling increased passenger traffic.
As the dispute continues, passengers remain caught in the middle, with many unsure of when they will be able to travel. Some have resorted to sleeping on benches and sitting on their suitcases as they await further updates.
The Adani Group, which operates in sectors ranging from ports and airports to renewable energy, has not yet commented on the strike or the concerns raised by the workers’ union and civil society groups. The fate of the proposed lease—and the future of JKIA—now rests in the hands of Kenya’s judiciary, with the country waiting for a final ruling on the contentious deal.
