The government on Wednesday deployed its impulsive reaction of threats, intimidation, and arrests of Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) leaders to unlock the standoff.
Instead, the government could have diffused the situation a week ago when the strike notice was issued to save the country from global embarrassment and the cost implications.
Dissatisfied with the proposed Kenya Airways takeover of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, KAWU protested in a strike notice dated February 27, 2019.
The devastating blow not only affected JKIA but also to Mombasa, Eldoret and Kisumu airports which saw the government act when the damage was already severe.
Since this is Kenya, where the last minute rush works best for everyone, Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) in a frantic effort rushed to court hours before the strike to forestall the strike with KAA also having had an entire week to salvage the situation.
The airport after nearly a decade of pushing for category one status that was granted last October could have been temporarily downgraded within matters of hours following the paralysis.
The sting of the crisis must be so painful such that in response, State resorted to violence, threats, arrests and intimidation to unlock the stalemate
“They should respect the court order or they will be cited for contempt of court,” retorted Labour CS.
It took the Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia 9 hours to arrive at JKIA and thereafter went for the jugular of the aviation workers branding them a bunch of criminals.
The shutdown has had dire cost implications on Kenya’s economy and disorienting several travellers, a situation that could have been diffused a whole week ago should government have acted proactively to forestall the strike.
Instead the State Agencies waited until the situation was out of hand, a now familiar script in dealing with industrial disputes in the country.
This despite JKIA being the busiest airport in East Africa and the fourth busiest in Africa.