Passengers stranded as workers protest Indian firm’s takeover of Nairobi airport

Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Wednesday as workers staged a protest against a proposed takeover by Indian conglomerate Adani Group. The protest caused significant disruption, leading to long queues outside the airport and delays and cancellations of multiple flights.

The aviation workers, organized by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU), launched a “go-slow,” a tactic where employees deliberately reduce their pace of work to cause operational delays. The protest was in response to a government proposal to lease JKIA to the Adani Group for 30 years in exchange for a $1.85 billion investment.

KAWU has expressed concerns over the deal’s transparency, calling it “opaque,” and warned it could lead to significant job losses. Despite these concerns, the Kenyan government has defended the proposal, stating the airport is operating beyond capacity and requires private investment to modernize, including plans for a new runway and improved passenger terminals.

Local broadcaster Citizen TV aired footage showing dozens of airport workers blowing plastic trumpets and chanting “Adani must go” as they marched near the terminal. In one clip, a police officer was seen striking a protester with a baton, further escalating tensions.

Among those caught in the chaos was Wilma van Altena, a Dutch tourist who had cut short her holiday in Kenya to attend a funeral in the Netherlands. She described the scene as “chaotic” and said hundreds of passengers were left waiting outside the airport with little to no information. “We’ve heard nothing from the airline, and the boards are blank. I need to get home, but I have no idea when that will happen,” van Altena told the BBC.

The Zimbabwe men’s football team was also among those affected. The squad had arrived in Nairobi following an African Cup of Nations qualifier in Uganda but had not received any information about their connecting flight to Harare. An official, who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said the team was frustrated but remained patient.

By 7 a.m. local time, minimal operations had resumed, according to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA). The agency said it was in talks with the relevant parties to resolve the disruption and restore full operations. However, long delays continued throughout the morning as the backlog of stranded passengers grew.

KAWU had previously threatened an indefinite strike over the government’s refusal to provide detailed information about the agreement with the Adani Group, which is one of India’s largest conglomerates, operating in sectors ranging from airports and utilities to ports and renewable energy.

The deal has also attracted criticism from other Kenyan organizations. Both the Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission have condemned the lease, arguing that handing over control of a key national asset to a private entity is reckless. The two organizations filed a case in Kenya’s High Court, which temporarily halted the agreement pending a judicial review.

The Adani Group, founded by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, has faced allegations of corruption in both India and Kenya. In July, protesters in Nairobi threatened to shut down JKIA, citing claims that Adani’s business practices were corrupt. Adani, a close associate of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has long denied any wrongdoing, despite persistent accusations that he has benefitted from his political connections.

The controversy intensified last year when a U.S.-based investment firm accused the Adani Group of “brazen” stock manipulation and accounting fraud. While the group rejected these allegations, India’s market regulator launched an investigation, which is ongoing.

Kenyan authorities have not yet set a date for a final court decision on the JKIA deal, but the case is expected to face significant legal and public scrutiny in the coming weeks as tensions over the future of the airport remain high.