Passengers Stranded At Kenya’s JKIA Airport As Workers Union Protest Gautam Adani’s Proposed $1.85 Bn Deal

Picture Courtesy: X/ehdande

New Delhi: Workers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Kenya's main international airport in Nairobi have gone on strike, causing flight delays and cancellations for both departing and arriving passengers. 

The strikes were planned last month but were subsequently delayed multiple times, paving way for negotiations. 

The Kenya Aviation Workers Union, which represents workers at airports and the national carrier Kenya Airways, protesting the proposed deal allowing Adani Group to lease JKIA for 30 years in exchange for a USD 1.85 billion investment.

As advised the flight will takeoff 0000hrs, 11.9.2024 pic.twitter.com/rm7VeqnoAY — Kenya Aviation Workers Union (@Kawu_KE) September 10, 2024

Kenya's high court has though temporarily blocked the Adani proposal on Tuesday, allowing time for a judicial review challenging the lease, the Kenya Aviation Workers Union have in a tweet shared that they will reconsider their intention to engage in industrial action against the KQ and KAA only if.

1. The Adani Airport Holding Limited's deal is abandoned in its entirety and their unlawful proposal is nullified and discarded altogether

2. The entire Board of Directors of Kenya Airports Authority resigns within the notice period provided herein and

3. All the three KAA Managers named in the demand letter (6 August) who have directly or indirectly been involved in the unlawful Adani deal and in other acts of impunity and disrespect of the rule of law resign within the notice period provided herein

4. The two KQ managers in the letter (7 August) resign within the notice period provided herein

"This is mockery to our sovereignty. Kenya Airports Authority has been performing these duties through a concession order. Adani is coming in with empty hands. We reject Adani," the union said on X.

This is mockery to our sovereignty. Kenya Airports Authority has been performing these duties through a concession order. ADANI is coming in with empty hands. WE REJECT ADANI pic.twitter.com/sKCLuucdPr — Kenya Aviation Workers Union (@Kawu_KE) September 9, 2024

Kenya Law Society President Faith Odhiambo said in a social media post that the Kenya High Court has granted permission to file a judicial review to challenge the decision to lease JKIA to Adani for 30 years, for that  Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) have been approved. Along with this, the court has banned JKIA, prohibiting any work of Adani started privately.

High Court grants LSK and KHRC's request for leave to file a judicial review to challenge the KAA's decision to lease JKIA to Adani for 30 years.
The court has meanwhile issued a stay prohibiting any person from implementing or acting on the privately initiated Adani proposal… pic.twitter.com/C2bo6Xkmu8 — Faith Odhiambo (@FaithOdhiambo8) September 9, 2024

Meanwhile, on the domestic front Adani Group stocks took a beating on the bourses in the wake of the Hindenburg Research making a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share-price manipulation on the conglomerate headed by industrialist Gautam Adani.

The Adani Group had dismissed the charges as lies, saying it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements.