Aviation workers at Kenyas largest airport JKIA are now calling for resignation of the Kenya Airport Authority top officials to avert a possible strike next week.
The employees through their umbrella body Kenya Aviation Worker Union say they are not willing to engage the government before the resignation of top KAA and Kenya Airways top bosses whom they claim have failed to address their grievances.
Among the issues they claim have not been addressed is a failure to review the employees’ salaries for the past eight years.
They also faulted the administration over their failure to stand up against the proposed lease of JKIA.
KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema said the union will only appear at the negotiation table once the state retracts from the Adani contract and the officials step aside.
"We had given the government and KAA an informal notice to withdraw the Adani deal and make changes on top management of KAA and KQ," said Ndiema.
The union said they will only come to the table once the Adani Airport Holdings Limited deal has been completely abandoned, and their proposal, deemed unlawful, has been nullified and discarded.
Further, they are calling for the entire Board of Directors of the Kenya Airports Authority to resign within the specified notice period.
“Let the government in the next seven days clearly communicate that it is dropping the Adani deal, secondly that it is relieving the KAA Acting Director General Henry Ogoye of his duties, firing General Manager Human Resource Development Anthony Njagi.”
Others KAWU want placed on the chopping board are the General Manager Engineering Meshack Ochieng Otwaro, Kenya Airways Head of Security Benard Oganga, and Security Operations Manager James Kiprono Ng'eno, on account of gross misconduct.
The demand also extends to three KAA managers named in letters dated August 6, 2024, who were allegedly involved in the unlawful Adani deal and what the Union terms ‘other acts of impunity’ and disregard for the rule of law, urging them to resign within the given notice period.
Furthermore, two managers from Kenya Airways (KQ), identified in a letter dated August 7, 2024, have also been asked to step down within the notice period.
"You do that for us we are Willing to sit down and discuss anything else. if you don't in the next seven days we are marshaling everyone in aviation," said Ndiema.