The Harambee Stars, Kenya’s national football team, are currently stranded in Johannesburg, South Africa, due to an ongoing strike at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The team was initially scheduled to depart South Africa at noon but has been rebooked on a 5 PM flight, contingent on improvements at JKIA in the coming hours.

Despite the rebooking, the team has been informed that there is no guarantee they will be able to fly back at the new scheduled time of 5 PM, leaving their return uncertain.

Harambee Stars claimed a 2-1 win over Namibia in their second 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier match on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at Orlando Stadium, South Africa. The victory propelled Kenya to the top of Group J, securing their position as strong contenders in the ongoing qualifiers.

meanwhile Passengers were stranded at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Wednesday September 11, 2024 due to the workers strike.

The workers started their strike Wednesday morning over a planned takeover by an Indian company – Adani.

Chaotic scenes were witnessed at JKIA as anti-riot police officers clashed with striking workers. According to the Aviation Workers Union, its strike started Wednesday at midnight.

In some videos circulating on social media, police were seen physically assaulting the protesting workers.

Under Adani’s proposal, the KAA employees will have to renegotiate the contract with potential job losses for some. Adani will have the rights to hire a portion of the current JKIA workers under new terms, with chances of hiring foreign nationals at the airport.

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