Kenya’s aviation sector is staring at a total blackout. The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) has issued a seven-day strike notice that could ground all flights at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), citing a "criminal" stagnation of wages dating back to 2015.

This is not a drill. KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema has drawn a line in the tarmac: "We will close the airspace, ground everything, and shut down all Kenyan airports." The threat follows the collapse of court-ordered mediation with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), whom the union accuses of bad faith and "management arrogance."

The Core Grievances

The workers' demands paint a picture of an industry in freefall behind the scenes, even as it projects success to the world:

• The 11-Year Freeze: Staff have not received a salary review since 2015. In an economy where inflation has doubled the cost of living, this amounts to a massive pay cut in real terms.
• Contractual Slavery: The union alleges KCAA is effectively casualizing the workforce, keeping employees on short-term contracts to deny them pension benefits and job security.
• Discriminatory Policies: A shocking claim has emerged that female employees are insured only as individuals, without cover for their children—a policy that reeks of archaic gender bias.

A National Economic Threat

A shutdown of JKIA is not just a travel inconvenience; it is an economic heart attack. Flowers will rot in the cargo sheds, tourists will cancel bookings, and Kenya’s reputation as a regional hub will take a beating it cannot afford. The government has seven days to find the money, or the skies over Nairobi will go silent.