- Kenya aviation workers ended a two-day strike on September 1, 2026, after talks with the government.
- The stoppage disrupted Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and other airports, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
- Union leaders ordered staff back to work to clear the flight backlog as negotiations continue.
Kenya’s aviation workers ended their strike on September 1, 2026, after government talks produced a return-to-work agreement intended to restore operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and airports across the country. The two-day stoppage stranded thousands of passengers and disrupted flights in Nairobi and beyond.
Moss Ndiema, secretary-general of the Kenya Aviation Workers Union, called on employees to return to their posts and begin processing the backlog.
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“We are simply calling off our strike action and pleading with our members to begin the process of normalising operations, restoring services,” Ndiema said. “For those who are on duty, we are asking them to begin clearing flights.”
Transport Minister Davis Chirchir said the government and the union had agreed on a way forward for the complaints that triggered the action. The recovery was expected to be gradual, with flights restarting in stages.
The airport network did not return to normal immediately. Airlines and airport staff first had to process passengers, aircraft and baggage held up during the stoppage.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the parties would continue negotiations on the collective bargaining agreement. Its statement also committed to “non-victimisation of employees arising from the industrial action.”
Kenya Airways allowed passengers to change or reschedule flights without penalty. The airline warned that severe delays and cancellations could continue as crews and ground teams worked through the backlog.
The stoppage spread from Nairobi to Kenya’s wider airport network
The walkout began on Sunday, August 30, 2026, then intensified on Monday, August 31. Delays and cancellations reached Kenya’s principal airports and spilled into regional connections.
| Location or network | Disruption reported | Passenger consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi hub | Strike action affected flights in and out of the main airport | Thousands of travellers faced delays, cancellations and stranding |
| Moi International Airport, Mombasa | Long delays, cancellations and limited passenger information | Travellers waited while services were disrupted |
| Regional airports in East Africa and beyond | Delays spread beyond Kenya’s main hub | Flights across the wider network faced knock-on disruption |
Some passengers spent the night at the Nairobi airport. Airlines arranged hotels for affected travellers, and some people were moved to accommodation after remaining stranded overnight.
The disruption also affected flights across East Africa. Its reach extended beyond departures and arrivals at the capital’s hub.
Workers linked the walkout to pay, staffing and unresolved agreements
The union’s complaints included several employment and management issues:
- Workers said they could not conclude a collective bargaining agreement with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
- They cited what they described as a lack of cooperation from the Kenya Airports Authority.
- The dispute included issues involving Jambojet, a subsidiary of Kenya Airways.
- Employees raised concerns over employment benefits, salary issues, job security, prolonged contracts and career progression.
- Workers opposed proposed changes to airport management and staffing practices.
- The union objected to the alleged use of volunteers as airport staff, saying the arrangement undermined trained employees’ roles.
The industrial action followed a breakdown in talks over implementation of a memorandum of understanding. Pay, staffing and working conditions remained at the center of the dispute.
The settlement kept negotiations open rather than closing every underlying issue. Employees were asked to return while discussions continued.
A go-slow became a shutdown of core airport functions
The stoppage began as a go-slow before expanding into a broader strike. Air traffic controllers drove much of the disruption, while other airport functions also slowed or stopped.
Baggage handling, check-in, security screening and aircraft turnaround were all affected. Those processes determine whether passengers can board and whether aircraft can depart on schedule.
The action involved workers at the Nairobi hub and disrupted main international and other airports. Delays then moved through connecting flights and regional services.
Before the final agreement, Ndiema said negotiations would continue while the strike remained in force. On Sunday, August 31, 2026, he told KTN Television that another meeting had been arranged for the following day.
“We have agreed to proceed with the engagements tomorrow, as from 11 o'clock in the morning. In the meantime, the strike action is still on,” Ndiema said.
The September 1 agreement ended the immediate walkout and directed workers to resume duties. Their first task was clearing flights and restoring services in stages, as airlines managed the remaining delays and cancellations.
