from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – BY calling off a strike that was scheduled for Tuesday, educators have provided some respite to the under-fire government in Kenya.
However, the pressure remains on the administration of President William Ruto with aviation workers the latest group to go on strike over plans to lease the country’s main airport to a controversial Indian company.
Employees of the Kenya Airports Authority affiliated with the Kenya Aviation Workers Union, have since Monday been staging picket protests at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
It continued on Tuesday, causing some disruptions.
The scheduled disruptions have led to overcrowding and longer check-in times, with some passengers reporting facing delays of up to three hours.
The strike action is against a proposed government deal with Indian company, Adani Airport Holdings (Adani), for the expansion of the airport.
Critics have denounced the 30-year lease as a threat to Kenya’s sovereignty.
To sweeten the deal, Adani plans to upgrade the airport for a reported US$1.85 billion (approximately R33bn).
Adani has previously attracted controversies because of reports suggesting stock manipulation, accounting irregularities, corruption, cronyism and tax evasion.
Activist, Brian Ogolla, said Kenya’s national assets like JKIA, must remain under local control to protect our sovereignty and economic interests.
Handing over a critical infrastructure like JKIA to foreign entities could jeopardize job security and prioritize profit, he added.
Government has previously confirmed receiving a proposal from Adani, with Musaila Mudavadi, Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary, assuring transparency and accountability throughout the process.
“We emphasise that JKIA remains a strategic national asset and is not for sale,” he noted.
On a positive note to the government, the Kenyan Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers announced that its members would resume work from Tuesday. This follows an agreement with authorities, with the latter assenting to some demands.
Both parties have agreed to continue negotiations.
“Parties have agreed that any other pending issue(s) will be resolved through bi-partite negotiations as is the practice,” said Nancy Njeri Macharia, secretary and chief executive officer of the Teachers Service Commission.
The week-long strike began on August 26 despite a court order suspending the work stoppage. The union was demanding the promotion of some public school teachers, among other issues.
The government has been facing protests by different groups since June amid the rising cost of living and high taxes.
Ruto subsequently sacked his cabinet and rejected the divisive Finance Bill, but that seemed not to have been enough to pacify the public.
– CAJ News