NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 19-The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) has issued a seven-day strike notice to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), setting the stage for potential disruption of air transport operations beginning Wednesday, March 25, 2026.Union Secretary General Moses Ndiema announced the decision on Wednesday, March 18, during a press briefing, accusing KCAA of breaching a return-to-work formula signed on February 17, 2026.The agreement had brought to an end a previous strike that disrupted operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and other aviation facilities.Ndiema said KCAA had failed to honour key provisions of the deal, including the unionisation of employees in grades four and five, compliance with court orders, and a commitment by both parties to avoid victimisation.“Kenya Civil Aviation Authority management is unable to respect the return-to-work agreement, which we signed before the CS Transport Davis Chirchir on February 17, 2026,” Ndiema said.He added that the agreement explicitly guaranteed union rights for certain staff categories, adherence to existing court rulings, and protection against victimisation.“Today, we are surprised that, as a gimmick to frustrate CBA negotiations, KCAA management has chosen to undermine that return-to-work formula,” he said.The union cited what it described as a recent case of unfair dismissal, alleging that an employee was terminated without being issued a show-cause letter or given an opportunity to defend themselves.“We have a court decision that was made last year, in September, in respect to an employee who was dismissed unfairly,” Ndiema said. “KCAA does not want to respect that… This is the law of the jungle, and we are saying that is not how progressive organisations like KCAA should behave.”KAWU further claims that the alleged violations are part of a broader strategy by KCAA to stall ongoing collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations. Ndiema emphasised that the return-to-work formula remains the foundation for all subsequent talks.“KCAA doesn’t seem ready to recognise the rule of law like any other corporate body in this country,” he said. “They want to act with impunity.”He warned that failure by the authority to address the grievances within the seven-day notice period would lead to major disruptions for passengers and aviation operations from March 25.The latest standoff mirrors events in February, when the Employment and Labour Relations Court issued interim orders blocking an earlier strike that threatened to cripple operations at JKIA.At the time, Justice Agnes Nzei, sitting at the Milimani court in Nairobi, certified KCAA’s application as urgent and directed that a strike notice issued by KAWU on February 9 should not be effected pending the hearing of the case.