Kenya Passengers Stranded As Aviation Workers Strike Disrupts Kisumu Airport Operations

16 February 2026

Capital FM (Nairobi)

Kisumu — Flights to and from Kisumu were disrupted on Monday following an aviation workers' strike announced last week in Nairobi, leaving dozens of passengers stranded and airport operations significantly slowed.

Travelers scheduled to depart from the Kisumu International Airport waited anxiously inside the terminal for updates, many expressing frustration over the lack of timely communication regarding their flights.

The industrial action stems from a formal strike notice issued by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union, which represents airport staff, air traffic controllers and other aviation employees across Kenya.

Union officials said the strike was triggered by unresolved grievances, including poor working conditions, delayed salary payments and concerns surrounding ongoing restructuring within the aviation sector.

At Kisumu's airport terminal, the atmosphere was tense as passengers paced back and forth, checking their phones and approaching airline counters for information that remained scarce.

The ripple effects of the strike extended beyond the airport. Outside the terminal, taxi operators who depend on arriving passengers reported heavy losses as business ground to a halt.

George Odhiambo, a local taxi operator, said the strike had dealt a major blow to their daily earnings.

"It's a Monday -- we expected high volumes of work -- but with the strike, we're recording nil," Odhiambo said.

The strike highlights mounting tensions within Kenya's aviation industry, with both travelers and airport-dependent businesses bearing the immediate brunt of the disruption.