Kenyan aviation employees are planning to strike in protest of the airport agreement with Adani Group of India

Next Monday, Kenya’s primary aviation union announced that it would initiate a strike in protest of a proposed agreement with an Indian company to construct the nation’s largest airport. This industrial action has the potential to significantly disrupt the east African travel center.

Last month, the Kenya Aviation Workers Union, which advocates for airport employees, declared that the proposed agreement with India’s Adani Airport Holdings would result in employment losses and the recruitment of non-Kenyan workers.

In a seven-day strike notice issued on Monday, it urged the government to halt the “unlawful intended sale of JKIA (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport) to Adani Airport Holdings of India.”

According to the Kenyan government, the airport is not for sale and no decision has been made regarding the potential public-private partnership to upgrade the terminal.

An Adani Group spokesperson was unavailable for immediate comment.

The national carrier Kenya Airways (KQNA.NR) could also experience substantial disruptions as a result of any strike.

The Kenya Aviation Workers Union Secretary General, Moss Ndiema, stated in the strike notice, “We shall reevaluate our intention to engage in industrial action… only if the Adani Airport Holdings Limited deal is abandoned in its entirety.”

He once again issued a call for the resignation of the complete Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) board.

It was verified by the KAA on Monday that it had received a strike notice. “We remain optimistic that a resolution can be achieved through negotiation,” stated spokesperson Elijah Miano.

The authority has stated that Adani intends to construct a second runway at JKIA and enhance the passenger terminal.

In response to a request for comment, Kenya Airways Chief Executive Allan Kilavuka declined to comply.

In a statement released last month regarding the Adani proposal, the government stated that JKIA was operating at a capacity of 7.5 million passengers annually and was in urgent need of development. The government cited incidents such as leaking roofs, which it claimed had caused “international embarrassment.”

The statement stated that the government was “constrained to fund the modernization of JKIA due to the current tight fiscal situation,” which could cost $2 billion.

It stated that Adani’s offer was currently under review. If an agreement is reached, the government has stated that safeguards will be implemented to guarantee Kenya’s national interests are safeguarded.

The proposed Adani deal has been the subject of criticism by a nationwide youth-led protest movement that arose in June in response to proposed tax hikes. Additionally, the movement has criticized a perceived lack of transparency.

Last month, police prevented demonstrators from entering JKIA, with the intention of closing it.