Passengers stranded by strike at main Kenya airport
Hundreds of passengers have been stranded at Kenya’s main airport as workers strike in protest at a planned takeover by an Indian business group.
Large queues formed outside Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Wednesday morning as flights were delayed and cancelled.
Workers launched a “go-slow” – where staff deliberately work slowly to cause disruption – in a stand against proposals to lease JKIA to the Adani group for 30 years.
The aviation workers union argues the deal is “opaque” and could lead to job losses.
However, the government has defended the proposal, saying the airport is operating beyond capacity and needs private investment to upgrade it.
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On Wednesday morning, dozens of airport workers blew plastic trumpets and chanted “Adani must go”, according to footage shown on local broadcaster Citizen TV.
The video also appear to show a police officer hitting a protester with a baton.
Wilma van Altena, who was on holiday in Kenya but cut her trip short to return to the Netherlands for a funeral, was among those stuck at the airport.
“It’s been chaotic… there were hundreds of people outside the airport when we arrived and we stood around and eventually made it inside,” she told the BBC.
“We have no information. There’s nothing on the boards, we’ve heard nothing from the airline. I need to get home but I have no idea when that will happen.”
The Zimbabwe men’s football team was also stranded.
The squad had flown into Nairobi after an African Cup of Nations qualifier game in Uganda, but had been given no information about their onward flight to Harare, an official who did not want to named told the BBC.
The BBC’s Stewart Maclean, who is among those waiting to catch a flight, said that at around 05:45 BST (07:45 local time), the hundreds queueing outside the airport were calm, patient but frustrated.
He said that cabin crew and pilots were among those waiting.
“Minimal operations” had resumed by 05:00 BST (07:00 local time), the Kenya Airports Authority, adding that it was engaging with relevant parties to settle the disruption.
Kenya Airways head Allan Kilavuka told the BBC that only a third of its scheduled flights had departed on Wednesday morning.
Workers at other airports across the country have also joined the strike.
The Kenya Aviation Workers’ Union has previously warned of an indefinite strike after the government failed to disclose details of the deal with the Adani Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates.
The Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission also criticised the plans, arguing that it is unreasonable to lease a strategic national asset to a private company.
The two parties filed a challenge to the High Court, which subsequently halted the deal to allow time for a judicial review.
The date for a final court decision has yet to be set.
In the proposal, the Adani Group would lease JKIA in exchange for a $1.85bn (£1.41bn) investment. The upgrades would involve a new runway and an improved passenger terminal.
The Adani group was founded by billionaire Gautam Adani and operates across a range of sectors, including commodities trading, airports, utilities, ports and renewable energy.
In July, Kenyan protesters against the takeover threatened to shut down JKIA, citing allegations that the Adani Group had engaged in corrupt practices.
Mr Adani is perceived as being close to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has long faced accusations that he has benefited from this relationship, an allegation which he denies.
Last year, a US-based investment firm accused the Adani Group of decades of “brazen” stock manipulation and accounting fraud. The Adani Group rejected this allegation, but India’s market regulator has launched an investigation.
