Kenya’s airport workers have called off their strike after two days of delays, flight cancellations and stranded passengers at the country’s major airports.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir announced the end of the industrial action early Tuesday after hours of talks between the government and the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU).
Chirchir said the strike had caused “huge” economic losses and confirmed that the parties had reached a return-to-work agreement.
The agreement was signed on August 31 following a meeting chaired by Chirchir and attended by senior government officials, the leadership of KAWU, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and Jambojet.
Under the agreement, KAWU directed its members to resume normal duties immediately and cooperate with their employers to restore airport operations.
The three employers named in the agreement, KCAA, KAA and Jambojet, also committed to addressing the issues raised by the union.
— Official Kenya Airways (@KenyaAirways) September 1, 2026
Jambojet agreed to meet the legal and procedural requirements for recognition of KAWU as the workers’ union.
The agreement also protects workers who took part in the strike from victimisation, intimidation, discrimination or disciplinary action.
Both sides agreed to maintain industrial peace and continue engaging in good faith to resolve the outstanding issues.
The strike started late on August 30 after KAWU said a framework agreement reached on July 27 had failed to resolve key concerns.
The earlier deal had suspended a strike notice and given the parties 30 days to negotiate issues affecting workers at KCAA, KAA, Kenya Airways and Jambojet.
KAWU Secretary-General Moss Ndiema said the talks had failed to make enough progress, particularly at KCAA and Jambojet.
The union has been demanding progress on collective bargaining agreements, salaries and benefits, working conditions, union recognition at Jambojet, recruitment practices and job security.
At KCAA, workers have raised concerns over the lack of a meaningful salary review for several years. The issue of whether salary adjustments should be backdated has also been a point of disagreement.
The strike disrupted operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Moi International Airport, leading to flight delays, cancellations and a growing passenger backlog.
Kenya Airways and other regional airlines were forced to reschedule some flights, while hundreds of passengers spent hours at airport terminals.
The disruption also affected cargo operations, with fresh-produce exporters facing major losses as shipments were delayed.
The government and KAWU held further talks at Transcom House on Monday before reaching the return-to-work agreement in the early hours of Tuesday.
The deal has ended the immediate strike, but several issues between the union and employers remain unresolved.
Airlines and airport operators are expected to take time to clear the backlog and restore normal flight schedules.
Passengers have been advised to confirm their flight status with their respective airlines before travelling.
APERIT FM, HII NI YETU
