Several passengers are stranded at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after aviation workers downed tools to protest over takeover by Indian firm Adani Airport Holdings.
In photos and videos seen by Nairobileo.co.ke on Wednesday morning, September 11, there were long queues at the airport as operations came to a standstill.
The aviation workers, on the other hand, were chanting and whistling as they protested against the Adani takeover deal.
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Nairobileo.co.ke has learnt that the airport has been completely grounded, with no flights taking off since midnight. Passengers arriving from abroad are being mixed with those departing.
In a statement on Wednesday morning, Kenya Airways notified its customers of flight delays and cancellations due to the strike.
"Kenya Airways would like to alert you that due to the action by some JKIA staff, this has resulted in some delays and possible cancellations of some of our flights for both departing and arriving passengers," KQ said in a statement.
The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) on August 12 issued a strike notice over the Adani and demanded the government address their issues or else they go ahead with the strike.
Among the demands issued by the union was the nullification of the government's deal with the Indian firm and the resignation of some senior staff in the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA).
KAWU secretary general Moses Ndiema claimed that the takeover by Adani would lead to job losses.
"Our action is informed by the declaration by Adani in their impugned Privately Initiated Proposal (PIP) that upon buying off JKIA, they intend to lay off majority of employees and bring non-Kenyan workers in the project," Ndiema remarked.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) have challenged the takeover by Adani and on Tuesday, September 10, the High Court temporarily suspended implementation of the deal.
