Police in plan to lease choppers

What you need to know:

  • “There should be evidence of successfully completed lease contracts of similar nature in the past five years,” said the advert.

The police will hire helicopters from international firms to curb security threats posed by Al Shabaab.

The National Treasury yesterday invited manufacturers, dealers, leasing companies, and financial institutions to bid for the tender advertised in the local dailies.

Firms that can provide transport troop carrier helicopters and utility helicopters have until August 15 to express their interest.
A troop carrier helicopter can carry between 25 and 30 officers.
The utility helicopter has a capacity of between 10 to 15.

“Expression of interest should include past experience and technical capacity.
Lease contract

“There should be evidence of successfully completed lease contracts of similar nature in the past five years,” said the advert.
The companies that will bid are required to have a turnover of Sh400 million (US$5million) a year.

They will also be expected to have full maintenance capacity. Spare parts should also be easily available.
This comes in the wake of a pre- technical committee that has approved the purchase of one helicopter

About 80 per cent of existing police aircraft in the country are grounded.

In June, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered that all security officials and equipment of the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Kenya Prisons and the National Youth Service be placed under the command of the Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo.

All aircraft owned by various government agencies including parastatals were also placed under Mr Kimaiyo in the new measure to curbing insecurity.