The tense situation at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has reached boiling point after workers on Wednesday downed tools, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded. This standoff stems from a controversial Ksh238 billion deal that has divided opinion and placed Kenya’s aviation future in the hands of a foreign giant.
On March 1, 2024, Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, owned by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, submitted a proposal to take over operations of JKIA under a 30-year concession arrangement. The plan included significant upgrades to the facility, such as a second runway and a new passenger terminal, to be funded through Adani’s Ksh96.6 billion investment. The proposal sparked immediate public outrage, with critics questioning the government’s willingness to hand over control of a key national asset.
The secrecy surrounding the deal only fuelled opposition. The Adani Group’s exclusive rights over JKIA would prevent the government from building another airport and give Adani control over fees, staffing, and operations at the facility.
By June 2024, the government had approved aviation policies that gave Adani a head start, but that didn’t ease the growing unrest.
An image of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Photo
Kenyans.co.ke
July marked a critical point in the saga. Details of the proposed agreement leaked, and public discontent surged.
On July 24, protests were planned to demand that the government halt any deals with Adani over JKIA. However, the demonstrations were quashed, and tensions simmered as more details came to light in August.
The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) was at the forefront of the opposition, issuing a strike notice for August 19, demanding transparency on the Adani deal. Yet, despite promises from the government to provide clarity, the workers remained unconvinced. President William Ruto found himself in a high-stakes negotiation, trying to dissuade the workers from going ahead with the strike.
But after a tense five-hour meeting on August 26, it was clear that the workers would not back down without full access to the Adani Public Initiation Proposal (PIP) assessment report and minutes from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) negotiations. The meeting was led by President William Ruto at State House and was attended by Transport CS Davis Chirchir and his counterpart CS Alfred Mutua and the heads of the airport workers’ union.
The strike was postponed to September 1 after the government released some documents to the union, but the situation remained unresolved.
September 6 saw another attempt at defusing the crisis when Foreign Affairs CS Alfred Mutua met with airport workers. Despite promises to provide all necessary documents, the talks failed, leading to the strike that has now paralysed JKIA.
On September 11, the aviation workers finally downed tools, plunging the airport into chaos and leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. The strike’s impact is already being felt, with operations grinding to a halt and workers locked in talks with the government.
The crisis at JKIA illustrates the high stakes of the Adani deal. While the government argues that the airport is operating above capacity and in dire need of modernisation, many believe that Kenya can raise the necessary funds without ceding control to a foreign company.
With no resolution in sight, the standoff continues, and the future of Kenya’s busiest airport hangs in the balance. What began as a proposal to improve infrastructure has now become a full-blown crisis, with broader implications for Kenya’s economy, sovereignty, and aviation sector.
The coming days will be crucial in determining whether the government can steer the nation out of this crisis or whether the strike will escalate further, with more disruptions to come.
President William Ruto departs for a three-day State Visit to Ghana on April 2, 2024
