Kenyan aviation workers plan strike notice over labour disputes

Kenyan aviation unions will hand over a strike notice next week, a representative said on 17 July, raising the possibility of disruption at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which the source describes as one of Africa's busiest hubs.

The Kenya Aviation Workers Union, known as KAWU, has held several strikes in recent years over pay and conditions. KAWU secretary-general Moss Ndiema said the union's seven-day strike notice would officially be received on Monday, meaning a walkout could begin from July 27.

Ndiema said the planned action is linked to long-running disputes over stalled bargaining arrangements, contractual issues and blocked unionisation at low-cost airline Jambo Jet.

The source says a two-day strike in February caused major delays at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. In 2024, airport workers also took action over a government plan to award India's Adani Group a tender to expand the airport. Workers warned at the time that the plan would cost local jobs and deprive taxpayers of future airport profits.

Kenya later cancelled the Adani partnership after the group's chairman was indicted on corruption charges in the United States. A new contract has been awarded to the China Road and Bridge Corporation.