Flight disruptions loom as aviation workers threaten strike after notice expiry
By Kenneth Mwenda, February 14, 2026Aviation workers at the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) have threatened immediate strike action after their seven-day notice expired. The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) held a media briefing on Saturday, February 14, 2026, to press their demands.
KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema highlighted several unresolved grievances.
“Before we get a satisfying answer on the issue of the right to representation. Haitaisha kama hawa watu wako contract at KCAA hawajapewa mabarua yao ya permanent and pensionable. Haitaisha until the illegal outsourcing at the EASA comes to an end,” he said.
The union issued the strike notice on February 9, 2026. Workers demand a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the end of illegal outsourcing, and recognition of the right to union representation. Ndiema also raised concerns about withheld union dues and long-term use of temporary roles instead of permanent positions.
The union regards the CBA as a basic right.
“CBA is a right of an employee. When we demand for a CBA, we are demanding for a right that is provided in our constitution. We are not begging. We are taking telling around. We will never beg. We will never approach you on our knees. We will demand,” Ndiema said.
He warned that the union could take tougher action if ignored.
“Na usipochunga, tutaongeza demand nyingine that will be so devastating. We will.” He deliberately kept the strike timeline vague.
“So to anybody and everybody who cares, Waanze kujipanga, we are going to have a tumultuous week the coming week. Sitawaambia ni siku gani, kwa sababu watajipanga sana. I’ll not tell you, but it’s enough for you to know that it could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be the day after, it could have been yesterday, maybe. Just prepare. Just prepare. Just prepare.”
Union demands worker dignity
Ndiema stressed that the union’s fight was for dignity and fair treatment.
“Now, I want to tell you this, and I want to tell you this, aviation is not a dumpsite. Where those keen on exploiting labour will find refuge, we will make it very difficult for them. In aviation, we want dignity. Work with dignity.”
He linked dignity to pay and working conditions.
“One of the components of giving an employee dignity is to give them a fair wage. Pay them fair salaries. Create the right environment, work environment,” Ndiema said.
He criticised the long wait without a CBA.
“Wakati tunaenda miaka kumi na moja, no CBA, that’s inhuman, mahali unaishi, those are estates you do not deserve to be living there. Unakaa pipeline, and you are working for a very prestigious organisation inaitwa KCAA.”
The union’s push follows earlier threats in September 2025, when Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) workers raised similar issues over stalled CBAs and contract employment. Dialogue resolved that dispute, and KAA confirmed no disruptions after talks with the union and government ministries.
This time, the focus is on KCAA. Workers argue management denies decent work, equal pay, and fair practices through prolonged temporary contracts. Ndiema noted that any changes to employment terms, like job downgrades leading to pay cuts, require union negotiation under the law.