Activist Boniface Mwangi has faulted Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) officers over the way they handled the workers strike at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Wednesday.
The activist, who unsuccessfully contested for the Starehe Parliamentary seat in the August 2017 elections, said that the workers were right to strike.
He also said that the planned merger between JKIA and Kenya Airways is ill-motivated. He urged the government to listen to the plight of the workers instead of harassing them.
“Yesterday @UKenyatta sent police to beat up all airport users. No one was spared. Why? Airport workers are resisting corruption, they don't want the loss making KQ to run JKIA. Instead of listening to their grievances, state responded with sheer brutality. Kenya is a violent state,” he said through his Twitter account.
Mwangi also said that the police should learn not to use guns everywhere when dealing with protests.
"Kenya police need to learn that not every situation requires show of force, guns, batons, teargas and men dressed in paramilitary uniform. #Kenya police used violence on peaceful striking workers and ended up making headlines for brutalizing innocent travelers and airport users," he said in another tweet.
Speaking live from JKIA, Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) had defied an earlier agreement not to strike. He said that the workers were unfair to down their tools when the matter was being addressed.
“KAWU had also issued a strike notice a few weeks ago and I met with them, discussed and agreed they will lift the strike which they did because we gave them assurances. What they fear is this proposed KAA-KQ merger will result in job losses,” he said.
Here is a series of Mwangi's tweets