Senators want KQ officials charged for endless losses
A Kenya Airways plane. Senators have trained their guns on senior officials at Kenya Airways over its perennial losses despite the government pumping billions of shillings in bailouts, calling for individuals culpable of the losses to be held to account.
Senators have trained their guns on senior officials at the national carrier over its perennial losses despite the government pumping billions of shillings in bailouts, calling for individuals culpable of the losses to be held to account.
The MPs said frequent bailouts of Kenya Airways (KQ) by the government have turned it into a cash cow for unscrupulous individuals. The legislators now want investigations to be opened into the airline’s operations.
The development comes after Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei sought a statement on KQ’s current operational and financial status. Its net loss has more than doubled to hit a record Sh38.26 billion in the financial year ended December due to a rise in financing costs after the government took over servicing one of the dollar-denominated loans.
KQ’s net loss grew 1.4 times from the Sh15.87 billion posted in 2021 to take its accumulated loss to Sh172.68 billion. Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah regretted that the government has continued to pump money into KQ without holding any person accountable for the losses.
Prosecution
He said officials responsible for the losses should be prosecuted and forced to repay the funds. The MP cited the sale of a special landing slot at Heathrow Airport to Oman Airways in 2016 at about Sh7 billion. He questioned who authorised the sale and whether the official had the mandate from Kenyans to go ahead with the deal.
“That asset belonged to Kenya and not Kenya Airways. The government should initiate a process to recover that asset from Oman Airways,” said Mr Omtatah.
Mandera Senator Ali Roba wondered how the national carrier continuously makes losses yet it records more than 96 per cent seat occupancy at any given time with costly tickets.
Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga said KQ losses were a deliberate ploy to get more bailouts.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka claimed unscrupulous individuals have been stealing money from taxpayers for the last 24 years through the bailouts.
