The Communist Party of Kenya (CPK) stands in full solidarity with the aviation workers’ strike that is being led by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU).
CPK strongly condemns the arrests of the Union leaders, the violent dispersal of striking workers by the Police, and the barbarism exhibited by the Cabinet Secretary for transport, Mr. James Macharia when responding to the concerns of the aviation workers.
The workers have raised serious, national and legitimate concerns that must be addressed by the Government.
The attempts by the Uhuru Kenyatta led Government to privatise the Kenyan Airports through the back door, that is, through Kenya Airways is unacceptable, illegal and illogical.
It is unacceptable because as Kenyans we cannot allow the airports, which form part of our national assets having been built by Kenyan taxpayers to be stolen by a few rich people for their own personal benefit.
It is illegal because the whole process has not been subjected to public participation and parliamentary approval.
It is illogical because it makes absolutely no sense for Kenya Airways, a company that has been consistently making losses in the billions, year in year out, to be allowed to run the airports when it cannot run itself successfully.
The workers have also raised queries on why Sebastian Mikosz, the Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Airways is earning sh8 million a month when the rest of the workers are being paid peanuts. They have asked why the top management have paid themselves over sh1.3 billion within a period of 18 months, at a time when the airline is still struggling with losses.
It is absurd that what Sebastian Mikosz earns in two months is what the President of Kenya earns in a whole year!
There is also the concern of casualization of workers at the airport and privatisation of airport departments through outsourcing of critical services to private entities including sensitive aspects human resource management. The causal workers are denied the right to join unions among other constitutional and statutory rights.
These are legitimate questions that the Government must respond to. We cannot allow such kind of institutionalised thievery to continue.
Today, the Transport Cabinet Secretary, Mr. James Macharia dismissed the striking workers as a “bunch of criminals”. He appears not to understand that workers have a constitutional right to demonstrate and picket. Or perhaps he is intentionally violating the Constitution of Kenya; an act that makes him the real criminal.
James Macharia’s assertions that the Airport is a national security installation doesn’t make it illegal for workers to exercise their constitutional right, but it actually takes us back to the question of the attempted back door privatisation of the Airports, specifically:
Why is this Government planning to privatise a national security installation? Why is a Kenyan security installation being run and managed by a Norwegian foreigner by the name Jonny Andersen? Since Kenya Airways is a significant player at this national security installation, why is it being run and managed by a Polish foreigner, by the name Sebastian Mikosz? Can we have a British General, or an Al Shabaab Commander heading and managing the Kenya Defence Forces? Or overseeing security at State House?
The Communist Party of Kenya demands that the planned privatisation of JKIA and other Kenyan airports be stopped with immediate effect.
The Communist Party of Kenya demands for the immediate and unconditional release of KAWU Secretary General, brother Moses Ndiema and all other Union leaders and workers who have been arrested.
The Party further demands that the Government publicly responds to the queries raised by KAWU; that the Government stops all attempts at stealing the Kenyan Airports; and that the greedy and immoral thieves who are responsible for the attempted privatisation of Kenyan Airports be charged in a criminal court alongside those who have institutionalised theft at Kenya Airways.
Lastly, the Communist Party of Kenya reminds and warns all those who exercise impunity while stealing public resources through privatisation that they shall face dire consequences when the Party comes into power in the near future.
Benedict WACHIRA
Secretary General
March 06, 2019