Passengers stranded during strike at Kenya’s main airport

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Hundreds of passengers are stuck at Kenya’s main airport after workers went on strike against a planned takeover by an Indian company.

The airline workers’ union is opposing proposals to lease Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi to the Adani group for 30 years.

The union believes the deal could lead to job losses.

After union members walked off the job on Wednesday morning, flights were delayed and cancelled.

The government defends the proposal by arguing that the airport is operating above its capacity and that private investment is needed to modernise the airport.

On Wednesday morning, passengers were seen waiting in line outside the airport for their luggage.

In a statement, JKIA said: “Minimal operations were resumed as of 7:00 am. In the meantime, we are in the process of engaging relevant parties to normalise operations. We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.”

The airline workers’ union previously warned of an indefinite strike after the government refused to release details of the deal with the Adani Group.

The Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission also criticised the plans, saying it was unwise to lease a strategic national asset to a private company.

Both sides appealed to the Supreme Court, which subsequently halted the deal to allow time for a judicial review.

The date for a final court ruling has not yet been set.

More BBC stories from Kenya:

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(Getty Images/BBC)

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