Kenya aviation workers end strike that paralyzed airport operations in the capital
A passenger sleeps as he waits for his delayed flight during a workers strike at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. Credit: AP/Brian Inganga
NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan aviation workers on Tuesday called off a strike that paralyzed air traffic for two days at the main international airport in the capital Nairobi.
Moss Ndiema, head of the Kenya Aviation Workers Union, said the strike that started Sunday had been called off immediately. The go-slow strike ended after the union reached an agreement with Kenya Airports Authority and others.
The strike left many travelers stranded by cancellations and flight delays.
Hellen Moraa, who was heading to the Netherlands via Dubai for business, said at the airport that the delays could cost her financially.
“It is unfair,” she said Monday.
Operations at airports elsewhere in Kenya also were affected by the strike. Unionized members alleged unfair staff hiring practices, poor compensation and proposed changes to the management of Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The airport has been plagued by intermitted industrial action as unionized workers demand better pay and working conditions.
Passengers queue at the departure area during a workers strike at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. Credit: AP/Brian Inganga
A similar strike in February stranded passengers at the airport, a major transport hub for regional and international travel.
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