Kenya Airways told to halt flights

Kenya Airways was told by MPs Thursday to immediately suspends its flights to West African countries affected by Ebola.
MPs speaking in the House accused the government and Kenya Airways of treating the threat to the country casually and exposing citizens to a dangerous virus.
The committee on Transport, Housing and Public Works revealed that it has summoned the airline’s management to appear before it on Monday for questioning in relation to the Ebola threat.

“We want to know what steps they have taken,” Vice Chairperson Mahamud Maalim said.

Chairpersons of House committees on Health, Administration and National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations and Budget and Appropriations spoke in one voice, demanding that the airline stop flying to the Ebola-hit areas.

STOP EXPOSING OUR PEOPLE

“Kenya Airways should stop exposing our people to a virus that is difficult to deal with,” the chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee Mutava Musyimi said.

The matter was raised in the House by Aldai MP Cornelly Serem who demanded that the government tells Kenyans the safety measures that it has put in place.
He questioned the state of preparedness of the country in case of an outbreak and why the ariline was still flying to West Africa.

The matter generated great interest, prompting the Deputy Speaker Dr Joyce Laboso to allow the MPs to discuss the matter.

The chairman of the Administration and National Security committee Asman Kamama said it was a matter of national security. “Ebola is lethal and can cause extensive damage. We want Kenya Airways to stop flying to Gabon, Sierra Leone and Liberia,” a said.