Operations were on Tuesday brought to a standstill at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa after a section of airport workers staged demonstrations inside the facility.
Passengers were forced to wait longer even as security officers intensified their efforts to restore normalcy at Kenya’s second-largest airport.
In the videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, a group of airport workers were captured on video mobilising their colleagues as they vowed to protest until their demands were met.
Additionally, travellers were spotted lining up along the security check patiently waiting for authentication to proceed with their journey.
An image of the Moi International Airport in Mombasa, Kenya.
KAA
A passenger who spoke to the press revealed that his flight had been delayed by about one and a half hours after the aviation workers resorted to staging the demonstrations.
According to the traveller, despite the demonstrations, the airport’s management pledged to address the delays as soon as possible.
“My flight was to leave Mombasa at 9.30 am but I have been here for roughly one and a half hours. I have been waiting but I am hopeful I will be able to travel to Nairobi,” narrated one of the passengers.
“One of the officers passed by and told us that there were some delays but they anticipated it should be resolved soon.”
The latest developments at Moi Airport in Mombasa come hours after protests erupted at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.
The aviation workers at JKIA downed their tools over the government’s decision to lease out the country’s main airport to Adani, an Indian company.
During the protests, the airport employees called for the immediate scrapping of the deal as it posed a major threat to their jobs.
On Tuesday evening, the Kenya Airport Workers Union (KAWU) revealed that they would stage a major demonstration beginning Wednesday after botched talks with the government.
Passengers stranded at JKIA after all planes were grounded due to workers’ strike.
Photo
Edwin Dande
