After negotiations with the government through the Ministry of Roads and Transport, aviation workers have now canceled their strike, which resulted in flight delays at major Kenyan airports.

The workers’ fierce opposition to the controversial Indian company Adani Group’s proposed acquisition of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was the catalyst for the strike, which lasted just 24 hours.

An urgent return-to-work deal was achieved during a meeting that Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir orchestrated on Wednesday evening at the airport with senior airport management and Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) leaders, led by Secretary General Moss Ndiema.

The agreement stated, among other things, that the workers would have veto power over the Adani deal and that no agreement would be signed by the government without their involvement and approval. Francis Atwoli, the secretary general of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), who was present at the meeting, read the agreement.

Atwoli added that the aviation workers had received formal paperwork on the potential Adani deal in response to their demands, and they would have ten days to review them and voice any problems they may have.

According to Atwoli, the group decided to expedite the pending Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations over the course of the following two months.

Even though the aviation workers were given assurances that they would not be victimized as a result of the go-slow, KAA Acting Managing Director Henry Ogoye also committed to speaking with registered union officials.

Tuesday night, when aviation personnel formally put down their tools, long lines were seen at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) called for a walkout on August 12, 2024, in response to the proposed lease of JKIA, Kenya’s premier airport, to the Indian corporation Adani Group.

In the notice of strike, KAWU Secretary General Moss Ndiema cited concerns that the JKIA-Adani agreement will result in a large-scale layoff, the hiring of foreign labor, and poor working conditions.

Asserting their ineptitude and mishandling the transaction, the aviation workers also demanded the resignation of three senior managers and the Board of Directors of the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA).

In addition, they called for the resignation of two security supervisors from Kenya Airways, citing serious violations such as accusations of sexual harassment, human trafficking, and unfair promotions within the division.

Kenya Airways, or KAA, has not responded significantly to the union’s demands. Due to the industrial action on Tuesday night, aircraft schedules have been disrupted, leaving many travelers stranded at the airport.

KAWU has said that they will only reevaluate the strike in the event that the two KQ managers, the KAA board and managers, and the proposed sale of JKIA are completely shelved.

On Tuesday evening, a dormitory at Isiolo Boys High School was reported to have caught fire.

Kenya Red Cross verified the occurrence and reported that a response team had been sent to the facility since then.

Although the exact amount of the damage is still unknown, the Isiolo County government’s fire and rescue services are currently on the scene.

The event is the most recent in a series of fires that have destroyed schools in Kenya during the previous two weeks.

Last Saturday, three girls sustained injuries and property was destroyed when a fire broke out in the Form One dormitory at Isiolo Girls High School.

Prior to it, there was the Nyeri County fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy, which left at least 21 pupils dead.

Kenya Power has publicly dismissed allegations that an electrical malfunction caused the recent fire at Nyeri County’s Hillside Endarasha Academy, which claimed the lives of twenty-one pupils.

This is in response to witness statements that the fire was started by an electrical malfunction. One parent, whose son escaped the disaster, stated that sparks from a lightbulb close to the dorm’s main entrance were responsible for the inferno.

The company, however, allayed concerns in a statement released on Tuesday, stating that its staff have subsequently confirmed that everything was in order at the time of the tragedy, allaying suspicions that the fatal fire may have been caused by an electrical problem.

Kenya Power continued by saying that its staff had confirmed that all installations were intact and the school’s supply line was stable the night of the incident.

It claimed that as soon as it learned about the incident, it took the initiative to turn off the school’s electricity as a preventative step, which is how no electrical appliances were destroyed.

Following an encounter with unidentified men who fled with his luggage holding $100,000 USD (Ksh.12.9 million), a businessman in Nairobi who trades in Forex Bureau is tallying his losses.

The incident occurred at 12:53 p.m., when Hirsi Ali Shire sought to exchange the cash in his bag for Kenyan currency.

From his office on Kaunda Street in Nairobi’s Central Business District, he got on a motorbike and rode to Westlands.

He exchanged the money when he got to the Westlands Paramount building and got back on the same motorcycle that was riding toward the CBD.

But things took an unexpected turn when they got to the Utalii building on the Uhuru Highway, which is only a few meters from the roundabout, when a white saloon car intercepted them.

Two of the passengers got out of the vehicle and threatened to shoot the two if they did not comply.

One of them grabbed the bag from Shire, went back to the car, and then took off running.

The event was reported by the businessman to Central Police Station shortly after, and the officers went to the scene and documented it.

The businessman acknowledged that he had forgotten to record the saloon car’s registration number when reporting the event.

Since then, the officers have been looking for the saloon car in order to locate the cash and apprehend the two suspects.

The MCAs of Nyamira County have submitted a second impeachment motion in an attempt to remove Governor Amos Nyaribo from office.

MCA nominee Evans Matunda submitted the motion, claiming grave misconduct and misuse of office as justifications.

“I beg to give a notice of a motion to consider debate and approval of the removal of Honorable Amos Nyaribo, the Governor of Nyamira County from office by way of impeachment on the following grounds; gross violation of the constitution of Kenya and other laws and abuse of office and gross misconduct,” Matunda said in the motion.

Many of the Nyamira County MCAs who have signed the motion have voiced concerns with Deputy Governor James Gesami Ondicho’s purported exclusion from county activities.

“The truth is that the governor is struggling with the job. Look at what happened when he was asked questions by the Senate; there was nothing at all that he answered,” MCA Abel Mose said, referring to Nyaribo’s appearance before the Senate’s Special Funds Committee on Friday.

The committee looked into differences in how Nyamira County funds were used in 2020–2021; 2021–2022, and 2022–2023.

Another MCA stated, “I support the motion because county employees are staging a go-slow and there are no drugs in our hospitals.”

According to reports, some ward representatives—including Rigoma MCA Gisesa Emmanuel Nyambega—who oppose the motion have had their posts in parliamentary committees revoked.

Governor Nyaribo just escaped impeachment in October 2023 when the necessary two-thirds majority was not obtained in an attempt to remove him from office.

Authorities are looking into an incident in which a couple were attacked at their Majogi village, Meru County, house by gunmen who shot and injured them.

Police report that a guy named Stephen Makanju was shot three times in the stomach and that his wife was injured in the abdomen.

According to the authorities, the attack’s motivation is still unknown.

In accordance to the police, the attackers tried but failed to set fire to their four-bedroom house.

Police say the men shot at the house’s main door and killed one of the cows.

When police arrived on the scene, they found two expended 5.56mm cartridges.

According to the police, the evidence will be forwarded for ballistic examination.

For medical attention, the victims were brought to Kiwa Mission Hospital.

There have been no arrests or recoveries.

The situation is currently being looked into.