Today, Wednesday 11th September 2024, hundreds of passengers found themselves stranded at Nairobi’s bustling Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). This is after airport workers decided to down their tools and stage demonstrations. Today’s strike has been triggered by objections to a proposed 30-year airport lease to the Indian business conglomerate, Adani Group. On Wednesday morning, the airport was thrown into chaos as long lines of frustrated travelers. This is after they encountered many flights delayed or canceled regardless of urgency of travel. The scene was marked by confusion and frustration among passengers as they struggled to manage the disruption.
According to the aviation workers’ union, the lease deal to the embattled company Adani is the epitome of ” selling the Kenya’s Soul”. They claim the deal is as “opaque” as it can get. Additional, they have expressed fears about potentially losing their jobs once Adani secures the deal. Others who joined in the protests were the Gen Z battlefield Front liners. This included Kasmuel Mcoure who noted the need to have thing done the right way, hence the need to stand in solidarity with the airport Workers.
The Adani groups deal has sparked mixed reaction among leaders. Those that have publicly endorsed the process Led by Esther Passaris have received heat from enraged Kenyans. They have insisted that these leaders don’t care about the country and neither do they care about Kenyans.
According to Passaris, the lease will work for the good of Kenya. She adds that the national Asset that Is JKIA will be upgraded to international levels. In what many Kenyans have termed as arrogance, Passaris has “given” Kenyans an assignment to do their research about what Adani will offer before ‘Rejecting’. “Kenyans need to understand what the Adani group will provide. I have been to Ahmedabad Airport that was done by Adani. Four years ago, it was a mediocre airport, but today it’s one of the five-star airport.” She noted
After a whole day of disruption, the Aviation workers union leaders announced their decision to return to work, signaling that normal airport operations would soon be restored.