Kenya: Passengers stranded as airport staff strike continues

Thousands of travelers spent the night stranded or facing major delays at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as a slowdown by aviation workers continued into its second day.

The action, led by the Kenya Aviation Workers' Union, reflects several long-running workplace disputes. The union says employees face poor working conditions and still lack a collective bargaining agreement with the country's Civil Aviation Authority. It has also accused the Kenya Airports Authority of failing to support workers and objected to plans to use youth volunteers as airport staff.

Union leader Moss Ndiema said KAWU met government officials on Sunday in an attempt to settle the dispute, but the talks failed to produce an agreement. The disruption quickly affected passengers and airlines. “Nothing is happening, updates are reaching us late. It's ruining our itinerary,” 22-year-old traveler William Obino told AFP.

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Nothing is happening, updates are reaching us late. It's ruining our itinerary.

Kenya Airways said flights were leaving about two hours late on average. RwandAir said on Sunday that it had canceled two flights because of concerns about air traffic control problems in Nairobi.

The Kenya Airports Authority said it was “working closely with the relevant aviation agencies, airlines and other stakeholders to manage the situation, minimise disruption and facilitate the smooth flow of airport operations.”

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working closely with the relevant aviation agencies, airlines and other stakeholders to manage the situation, minimise disruption and facilitate the smooth flow of airport operations.