UPDATE - Kenya airport workers call off strike after reaching deal

​​​​​​​ADDS KAWU BOSS’ STATEMENT, CHANGES DECK, HEADLINE, LEDE, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Kenya's airport workers have called off a one-day strike that disrupted flights across East Africa after accepting a deal to return to work.

The strike, which began at midnight Tuesday, resulted in flight cancelations, including those by RwandAir and other regional airlines, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) announced the end of the strike late Wednesday after closed-door talks with officials from the Transport Ministry.

KAWU Secretary-General Moss Ndiema told reporters that airport staff ”are not endorsing the Adani deal, this return to work is conditional, and we have been given the power to veto the agreement at any point if it does not align with the workers’ interests.”

The Adani deal Ndiema referred to is KAWU’s opposition to a government-proposed plan to lease the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the Indian conglomerate, Adani Group.

Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said Wednesday that the “Adani JKIA venture is only but a proposal.”

He added that the deal had been reached in the meeting led by Transport Minister Davis Chirchir.

The planned takeover, which aimed to bring significant investment for airport modernization, drew criticism from workers who fear job losses and changes to working conditions.

The strike comes after the High Court decided to temporarily halt the proposed deal, which sought to lease JKIA for 30 years to Adani in exchange for an $1.85 billion investment to upgrade and expand the airport.

Despite the Court’s ruling, Adani Group staff have remained at the airport, escalating worker tensions, as the KAWU has expressed concerns.

The airport handles more than 8.8 million passengers annually but has been plagued by infrastructure challenges, including leaking roofs, frequent power outages and aging facilities.