HUNDREDS of workers at Kenya’s main international airport demonstrated today against a planned deal between the government and a foreign investor. 

Planes have remained grounded, with hundreds of passengers stranded at the airport.

The government has said that the build-and-operate agreement with India’s Adani Group would see the Jomo Kenyatta International airport modernised and an additional runway and terminal constructed, in exchange for the group running the airport for 30 years.

The Kenya Airport Workers’ Union said that the deal would lead to job losses and “inferior terms and conditions of service” for those who will remain.

Central Organisation of Trade Unions general secretary Francis Atwoli told journalists that the strike would have been averted had the government listened to the workers.

“This was a very simple matter where the assurance to workers in writing that our members will not lose jobs and their jobs will remain protected by the government and as is required by law and that assurance alone, we wouldn’t have been here,” he said.

The Kenya Airports Authority said that it was “engaging relevant parties to normalise operations” and urged passengers to contact respective airlines to confirm flight status.

The High Court on Monday temporarily halted the implementation of the deal until a case filed by the Law Society and the Kenya Human Rights Commission is heard.