Helicopters hitch hurts operations of police service

The Kenya Police Service is procuring four new twin turbine engine helicopters worth Sh2.7 billion designed to suit the travel needs of  police commandoes amid a row over the tender document. FILE PHOTO |

What you need to know:

  • Officers are failing to respond effectively to emergencies because aircraft are grounded

The police is failing to effectively respond to emergency situations since all its eight helicopters are grounded.

The service, however, has two fixed-wing aircraft which can only carry nine officers each, and also land only on locations with runways.

Four Mi-17 helicopters are grounded at the Kenya Police Airwing hangar. Three of them require total overhaul while the other one has not been repaired since it was involved in an accident in Kapsabet where former assistant minister Orwa Ojode and then Commissioner of Police Hussein Ali escaped.

Mr Ojode later died in another helicopter crash.

Inspector-General of Police David Kimaiyo, however, said on Sunday that they had advertised for a tender for the supply of one new helicopter and the overhaul of the four Mi-17 helicopters.

Another helicopter, a Bell 206 L4, has a problem in the turbine, suggesting that it might have been operated by an officer who does not have full knowledge about it, according to a senior pilot who sought anonymity.

“In case of evacuation, the victims have to be taken to the nearest airstrip. Besides, officers cannot be taken to the exact areas of conflict unless there are airstrips,” he said.

Even the emergency helicopter for the Kenyatta National Hospital kept by the police cannot function after the engine sucked in some particles while it was on official duty in Mandera early last year. It was taken there for standby duties and medical evacuation.

Several other aircraft, including the Administration Police Service Bell 407, which crashed at Ukunda, are grounded. Three other Cesna 310 Caravans will be sold. A Bell 47 crash-landed at the Wilson airport while a Bell 206 L1 is undergoing repair at the Kenya Wildlife Services.

Airwing Commandant Rogers Mbithi said the unit was understaffed. He said there has been a high turnover of experienced pilots and engineers who were lured by better salaries and benefits elsewhere.