Why Kenya airport workers went on strike

The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWI) has demanded that President William Ruto's government  disclose details of the airport  lease agreement it wants to enter with the Adani group.

The call comes a day after aviation workers downed their tools over the planned takeover of the Jomo Kenyatta International (JKIA) — one of Africa's busiest hubs. KAWI says it wants to participate in negotiations with the Adani group to avoid job losses but appears to prefer the deal be scrapped altogether.

"We have not said that we have accepted Adani. We will be given veto powers, and our signature will be needed for the process to move forward," KAWI leader Moss Ndiema said. "If it is a bad deal, we will not sign."

JKIA: A significant industry in its own right

Francis Atwoli, the secretary general of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions, said they had been presented with the documents of the investment deal, which they would study before deciding on the next course of action.

"We undertake to go through them within 10 days and flat-out arrears of our concern," he said, adding that no worker will be punished for the strike.

In a strike notice to Henry Ogoye, acting managing director and CEO of Kenya Airport Authorities, the KAWI union said their hand had been forced by the management, which failed to listen to union demands.

Critics say the plan to lease JKIA to Adani will lead to job losses for local staff and rob taxpayers of future airport profits.

Freight and passenger fees from the airport account for more than five percent of Kenya's total GDP.

Inside the Adani deal

According to a reportby the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Adani's $2 billion proposal includes building and refurbishing airport terminals, improving its taxiways, and possibly constructing a new runway.

These improvements would be financed by airport revenue, increasing airport fees, and raising money from private investors.

After 30 years, Adani would receive an 18-percent equity stake in the airport.

The Adani proposal also says that the success of the airport project would apparently be "highly dependent on favorable tax policies."

To this end, the proposal asks that the Kenyan government consider "exempting it from corporate income tax derived from the concession for certain years," according to the OCCRP.

Who is Adani?

Gautam Adani, the second-richest man in India, owns the Adani Group and enjoys close ties with the ruling party in his country, including with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Adani Group is one of India's largest and most politically influential conglomerates. It has interests in energy, agribusiness, weapons, and its airport division.

However, it has also been hit hard by a series of scandals in recent years, including accusations of fraud and insider trading. 

Government defends controversial deal

Kenya's government has defended the Adani deal, highlighting however that its terms are still being negotiated.

This comes after the Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission won a delay on the Adani deal from the High Court on Monday, arguing that the lease lacked "transparency."

A date for a final verdict on the deal has yet to be set.

"This proposal is undergoing thorough due process, including stakeholder engagement, national treasury approval, and cabinet clearance," deputy government spokesman Gabriel Muthuma said on X following these developments.

JKIA is an 'embarrassment to the country'

Speaking to reporters shortly after the government and representatives of the striking workers reached an agreement to get them to return to work, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Davis Chirchir, reiterated his view that JKIA was an "embarrassment to the country" and stressed that the airport needed urgent renovation.

The airport is often hit by power outages, and leaking roofs have also become a growing concern.

"Kenya, the region's anchor state, must remain competitive in the aviation industry," Chirchir highlighted, adding that the hub serves many countries in the region.

"We need airports like those in other developed economies to attract more visitors to our country," Chirchir also emphasized.

JKIA handled 8.8 million passengers and 380,000 tonnes of cargo in 2022-2023.

Young Kenyans speak out on lease plans

Despite government assurances that the Adani deal will benefit the country, Kenya's youth have the their doubts. 

Just weeks after the end of the youth-led protests in the country, many young Kenyans appear to believe that the Ruto-led administration will fail to deliver on the promises he made. Some told DW that they think their government is covertly cracking deals with foreign companies and has failed to

"The sale or 30-year lease to Adani and some of the conditions or clauses in that contract or lease or whatever it is are very detrimental to Kenya. We're already in debt, and some clauses are messed up," Peter Mitenga, a resident of Nairobi, told DW.

Lisa Ngeno, a multimedia student, told DW that in her esteem, the Ruto administration is "full of lies and deceit."

"We don't know who is telling the truth. It's not right that we give our own airport, which has been with us for many years, to private entities," she explained.

Ngeno said she fears that Kenyan workers will be affected if the Adani Group takes over the airport because the new management would hire workers of their own choice, potentially excluding Kenyans:

"It's a government betrayal to Kenyans. We are just a step away from selling our country."

Edited by Sertan Sanderson