Government officials, aviation union leaders, and stakeholders display the signed return-to-work agreement, officially ending the nationwide airport strike.
By Maximilla, Sub-Editor, the County
Diary News
Flight operations across Kenya’s key airports are
expected to normalize after the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) officially
called off its industrial action following a return-to-work agreement signed on
Tuesday, September 1, 2026. The deal brings to an end the strike action that
commenced on August 30, which caused widespread flight delays, cancellations,
and stranded hundreds of passengers across major hubs including Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport (JKIA), Mombasa, Kisumu, and Eldoret.
The breakthrough agreement was brokered during
high-level conciliation meetings co-chaired by Transport Cabinet Secretary
Davis Chirchir and Labour CS Dr. Alfred Mutua. The negotiations were witnessed
by COTU Secretary General Dr. Francis Atwoli, alongside senior ministry
officials and top executives from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), the Kenya
Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), Jambojet Limited, and union leaders.
As part of the signed return-to-work formula, KAA
agreed to immediately release and remit union agency fees currently in its
custody directly to KAWU. Furthermore, KAWU and KCAA will proceed immediately
with Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) talks following the Salaries and
Remuneration Commission's (SRC) withdrawal of its earlier July guidelines in
favor of new framework parameters. Regarding the ongoing union recognition
dispute with Jambojet Limited, both parties agreed to abide by an upcoming
court ruling. Finally, the government undertook to address concerns surrounding
KAA top management, with remaining union grievances set to undergo arbitration
led by the Principal Secretary for Aviation and Aerospace Development. Aviation
employees have since been instructed to resume duty immediately to restore full
flight schedules.
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