Hundreds remain stranded as aviation workers' strike enters day two

The strike began on Sunday after aviation workers declared go-slows across Kenyan airports. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

Hundreds of passengers remained stranded at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi and other airports on Monday as the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) strike entered its second day.

Travellers scheduled to fly through Kenya’s busiest airport spent the night in airport lobbies awaiting guidance from airlines amid widespread disruptions.

By Monday morning, several airlines had begun arranging hotel transfers for passengers affected by the industrial action.

The strike began on Sunday after aviation workers declared go-slows across Kenyan airports, disrupting operations at JKIA, Moi International Airport in Mombasa and other facilities.

The workers are demanding improved welfare, better working conditions and implementation of previously agreed employment benefits.

KAWU Secretary-General Moss Ndiema said members had downed their tools at the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Jambojet, and would not resume work until their grievances with the three institutions were addressed.

The strike followed the collapse of a framework agreement signed on July 27, after Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir brought together the union and four employers named in an earlier strike notice.

The agreement had set out a timetable for each organisation to engage directly with KAWU in negotiations aimed at resolving the workers’ grievances.

Meanwhile, tourism stakeholders have urged the government to urgently intervene, warning that the strike could inflict billions of shillings in losses on the industry.

Mohammed Hersi, the immediate former chairman of the Kenya Tourism Federation, warned that continued disruptions could damage Kenya’s reputation as a tourism destination.

“A tourist who cannot trust that their flight will depart on schedule does not simply tolerate the inconvenience. They quietly choose Zanzibar, Mauritius, or Cape Town next time, and they tell their friends to do the same,” Hersi said.

The disruption comes at a critical time for Kenya’s aviation and tourism sectors, with stakeholders warning that prolonged industrial action could lead to flight cancellations, additional costs for airlines and passengers, and loss of confidence among international travellers.