Hundreds of passengers have been stranded at Kenya’s main airport as workers protest against a planned takeover by an Indian company.<\/p>\n
Large queues formed outside Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Wednesday morning as flights were delayed and cancelled.<\/p>\n
Workers launched a “go-slow” – where staff deliberately work slowly to cause disruption – in a stand against proposals to lease JKIA to the Adani group for 30 years.<\/p>\n
The aviation workers union argues the deal is “opaque” and could lead to job losses.<\/p>\n
However, the government has defended the proposal, saying the airport is operating beyond capacity and needs private investment to upgrade it.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday morning, dozens of airport workers blew plastic trumpets and chanted “Adani must go”, according to footage shown on local broadcaster Citizen TV.<\/p>\n
The video also appear to show a police officer hitting a protester with a baton.<\/p>\n
“As of 7:00am, minimal operations had resumed,” the Kenya Airports Authority said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“In the meantime, we are engaging relevant parties to normalise operations. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.”<\/p>\n
The Kenya Aviation Workers’ Union previously warned of an indefinite strike after the government failed to disclose details of the deal with the Adani Group.<\/p>\n
The Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission also criticised the plans, arguing that it is unreasonable to lease a strategic national asset to a private company.<\/p>\n
The two parties filed a challenge to the High Court, which subsequently halted the deal to allow time for a judicial review.<\/p>\n
The date for a final court decision has yet to be set.<\/p>\n