Crash blamed on poor planning
The Busia aircraft crash in which Cabinet minister Ahmed Khalif died in 2003 was due to poor “professional planning”, a Nairobi court was told Wednesday.
Preliminary investigations indicated that poor planning led to the crash, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority director-general Chris Kuto said.
Information received from technical officers showed that proper regulations were flouted, he said.
He maintained that it was an operator’s duty to ensure that their planes were adequately manned and equipped to guarantee passenger safety.
It was this information that led to the suspension of the African Community Services operator licence, pending further investigations, Mr Kuto said.
He was testifying in a case in which the air operator wants the suspension to be revoked.
Mr Kuto told Lady Justice Roselyn Nambuye that he was well acquainted with Mr Ismael Jibril, the managing director of African Commuter Services, the suspended air operator.
Vice President Moody Awori had chartered the plane to transport a delegation of MPs to his Busia residence to celebrate his victory in the 2002 General Election.
The plane crashed during take-off killing Mr Khalif and injuring cabinet colleagues Raphael Tuju, Martha Karua and Linah Kilimo, and assistant minister Njeru Githae.
Political activist Wanjiru Kihoro was seriously injured and remained in coma until her death in October last year.
Pilots Sammy Mungai and Abdikadir Kuto also died in the crash. African Commuter Services has defended the pilots, saying that they did the best they could in the situation.
Tribunal hearing
Elsewhere, a suspended judge Wednesday termed his removal and that of his colleagues from the Judiciary ironic.
Mr Justice Vitalis Juma told the tribunal on his conduct that the 2003 judicial purge was ironical as all the judges who opted to retire were handsomely paid and even received a letter of commendation from President Mwai Kibaki.
The letters thanked the judges for their exemplary performance during their tenure at the judiciary.
Mr Justice Juma said the praise was insincere yet the same judges were hounded out of office on corruption allegations.
Of the 23 judges and 73 magistrates suspended on October 14, 2003, three have been cleared and reinstated to the bench. Most of the judges opted to retire instead of facing the tribunal.
Mr Justice Juma scoffed at claims that he received bribes while in office.
“It will be a great pity and sad day for a judge to be penalised for delivering a judgment which did not please some members of the Executive. I am not corrupt,” he said. The tribunal hearing continues.
