Wednesday, September 11, 2024 – Normal services at Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport (JKIA) were disrupted after Kenya Airport Authority (KAA)
workers officially commenced their strike yesterday to demonstrate against
President William Ruto nefarious decision to lease the airport to a rogue Indian
company called Adani Group.
Hundreds of passengers were left
stranded on the night of Tuesday night as all planes at the JKIA were grounded.
Last night, long queues were
experienced beginning around 9 pm with several passengers reporting runway
traffic.
"JKIA staff go-slow causes
long lines as they plan to go on strike at midnight over Adani takeover deal.
They’re declaring a 'total lockdown' to oppose the Indian firm, several
employees tell me," one of the passengers, Larry Madowo, noted.
"I’m on one of the last
flights out of JKIA at 2359 hours - if it makes it - before the airport
workers’ strike begins at midnight."
As of 12:23am, Madowo revealed
that his plane was still waiting on the runway.
Other passengers confirmed that
once the strike officially kicked off at midnight no plane had taken off at
JKIA worsening the situation.
Others were concerned that those
flying in from abroad had mixed with others planning to depart, a situation
that posed a security risk.
Earlier, the workers had given
the government and JKIA an ultimatum to make public a deal it entered with
Adani Group Holdings to manage the international airport.
All employees of KAA had downed
tools and no one was at the entry points to check on-boarding passengers while
several other flights were cancelled.
"JKIA is completely
overwhelmed, it can’t handle the traffic. It’s chaos. There are now brokers
getting paid to get you to the front of the line," another traveller,
Edwin Dande, expressed frustration.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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