Operations at the Eastern African biggest player, JKIA, have been brought to a standstill over the controversial Adani deal. The Adani Airports Holding LTD seeks to overtake the full operations of Kenya’s iconic airport, a deal that has received strong kickbacks from the Kenya Airports Authority Workers (KAA).
KAA workers at the JKIA staged a go-slow operation in waiting for the kick-off of the long-overdue strike slated to begin at midnight. The stalemate has since grounded major flights that were scheduled to take off past midnight.
Passengers are still stranded at the airport, raising fears over flight delays and cancellations. Things simmered in the early mornings of Wednesday as KAA workers swung into a full-blown strike, putting the airport at a great risk of spillover.
Regional and international operators have already cancelled flights to the JIKIA. Kenya’s top operator, Kenya Airways, has also notified passengers over anticipated flight delays and possible cancellation of tickets.
KAA workers, under the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU), demand a complete halt of the deal, which could lead to massive layoffs as the Adani agreement would lead to an influx of non-Kenyan workers into the airport.
The Adani deal, which was signed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for 30 years, requires that all the licenses be transferred under the Adani Airports Holdings LTD. The group will also take over the full operations of the airports with newly proposed employment and contractual terms for the native workers.
Kenya’s court has already declared the deal null and void, with the case set to be heard in early October. The government and top management officials at the airport haven’t issued any statement regarding the ongoing stalemate regarding the shoddy deal, which wasn’t made public at the beginning.
Adani has stated in the agreement that any possible disruption, leading to the halt of the deal, either through protests or court process, would require a volumunous compensation, including the anticipated profits. The case hearing and declaration would therefore be moved to a court based in Mauritius.
The protests at the internationally recognized airport have so far exposed the government’s nakedness, sending salvos of warnings to the crossboarder investors who are appetizing for the shoddy deals with government officials operating from the backdoor.
The government has since deployed police officers from the paramilitary wing, GSU, to curb the possible protest spillover. A video shared by CitizenTV showed police officers roughing up peaceful protesters in an attempt to foster orders from above, but the KAA workers have vowed to continue the action until the deal is halted in its fullness.
