Crisis as only half of Kenyan police aircraft can fly

Only six of the 12 aircraft operated by the Kenya Police Airwing are in working condition, according to investigation by the Nation.

Two of the six helicopters in the fleet and four of the six Cessna fixed wing aircraft are unserviceable, and the government is yet to release Sh16 billion needed to modernise the fleet.

In his last public function, Internal Security minister George Saitoti, who died with assistant minister Orwa Ojodeh and four senior police officers in a helicopter crash on June 10, announced the department would buy more aircraft to deal with any security threats during the General Election. (READ: Leader spoke of plan to buy police aircraft in last speech)

The officers killed in the crash were pilots Nancy Gituanja and Luke Oyugi and bodyguards Thomas Murimi and Joshua Tonkei. Their helicopter was the newest in the fleet.

The team to investigate the crash will be sworn in this morning by Chief Justice Willy Mutunga. The Police Airwing has 56 personnel, including 21 pilots, 14 trainee pilots, six engineers and 15 technicians.

Now only four pilots, including the Airwing Commandant Rodgers Mbithi, can fly the MI-17 aircraft series after the death of Supt Oyugi and Supt Gituanja.

The unit’s role includes border patrols, rapid response, anti-terrorism operations, assisting in ground policing, VIP air transportation and search and rescue.

On Monday, Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere defended the unit’s record, saying the helicopters were well-serviced and handled by competent pilots.

Supt Gituanja and Supt Oyugi were among officers trained in Ukraine to fly MI-17 helicopters, which the police have been using for the last 15 years. Supt Gituanja and Supt Oyugi had flown a total of 1,243.50 hours and 1015.10 hours respectively.

“Look at Kenya Airways. Over 80 per cent of its pilots are ex-Kenya Police pilots,” Mr Iteere said, noting that most pilots with commercial airlines in the country were either from the army, Kenya Air Force or Kenya Police.

“I wanted to allay those fears because we are satisfied with the type of training we give those officers,” he added. In 2010, the government appointed a 12-member committee to look into the quality of police helicopters and the high turnover of experienced pilots and engineers.

The committee, led by retired Col Eitychus K. Waithaka, presented its report to the then Internal Security permanent secretary Francis Kimemia early last year, but the government only said Sh16 billion would be set aside for new aircraft, fleet upgrade and flying equipment. During this period, the Airwing only acquired the ill-fated Eurocopter.

For the last 30 years, the Airwing has experienced 10 accidents, six of them fatal, two non-fatal but the aircraft were damaged beyond repair and two others in which the aircraft were extensively damaged.

The last fatal accident happened on June 10 in Kibiku, Ngong Forest, and the last non-fatal one was in May 2009 involving a fixed Wing aircraft 5Y-PAX in Kapsabet.

The Russian-made helicopter had on board former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali, Mr Ojodeh, former Rift Valley Provincial Commissioner Hassan Noor Hassan and other senior government officials when it developed mechanical problems while taking off from Kipchoge Keino Stadium.

Head investigation

On Tuesday, Dr Mutunga said Attorney-General Githu Muigai consulted him over the appointment of appellate judge Kalpana Rawal to head the investigation into the helicopter crash.

A section of MPs has accused the Executive of picking the judge without requesting the CJ. “I was consulted and we did agree at the end of it that the judge be picked to head the team,” he said.

Lady Justice Rawal will be assisted by four assessors — retired Maj-Gen Harold Tangai, retired Maj Charles Muyehe Wandiri, Capt Peter Marangab and Mr Fredrick Aggrey Opot.

Dr Mutunga said the team would hand over the report to him to make public its findings.

“I know the public is worried that the findings of the report will not be made public or might be tampered with once it goes to (Transport minister Amos) Kimunya but I want to assure them that this report will first come to me and I will make its findings public.

“This is a matter of national concern and it is only proper that we do it that way,” said the Supreme Court president. Dr Mutunga also underscored the suitability of judges in heading such inquests, saying it guaranteed fairness and justice.

“These issues are about justice and I think when judges are involved, the report becomes fair, free and credible. Our Constitution allows judges to participate in all matters even those that are overtly political,” he told journalists at the Supreme Court in Nairobi.

Investigations will zero in on the chopper itself, the personnel and the weather at the time of the crash.