The Senate Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialization and Tourism today held a meeting with Kenya Airlines Pilots Association following a resolution of the Committee's meeting held on 13th June 2023 to engage various relevant stakeholders regarding a Statement sought by Sen. Samson Cherarkey on Operations and Financial Status of Kenya Airways. 

The Committee Chaired by Sen. Lenku Ole Kanar Seki seeks to know the current operational and financial status of Kenya Airways and the measures in place to address significant losses by the airline which stand at Kshs. 38.26 billion by December, 2022. Outline strategies the management of Kenya Airways has implemented to ensure timely repayment of loans without incurring additional interest and penalties; as well as provide reasons contributing to the increasing operational costs of the airline. 

The Senators want to know the number of employees, giving their skills and jobs assigned, addressing concerns that the management has favored the recruitment of foreign workers for positions that could be filled by Kenyan Professionals; and lastly, the extent to which, Kenya Airways' revenues were affected by the stalling of a Singapore Airlines cargo plane on the JKIA runway on 17th April 2023, spelling out measures that have been taken to prevent such occurrences from affecting the operations of KQ.

Kenya Airlines Pilots Association Executive were the first stakeholders to appear before the Committee led by Mr. Mwenda Mabura, an Executive Member of the Association.

The Pilots have called for new leadership with a different management style. They have emphasized that the Company board should comprise of Aviation professionals and key relevant stakeholders other than the investors approach only. 

The Association strongly advocate for a new organizational structure to be established with direct emphasis on KQ's core functions and revenue generation streams for the airline and the country as a whole. They recommend that a new set of departmental heads as well the CEO should be hired in a competitive, transparent and fair process with qualified Kenyans given priority consideration. 

In addition, the pilots want the mission, vision statement and core values of KQ reviewed to align with Kenya's aspiration and key economic drivers such as leisure and business tourism as well as agricultural exports and regional integrations. 

Further, they stated that there ought to be performance contracts for all management with clauses to undertake to be surcharged and financially compensate KQ to extend of any loss due to acts of negligence, illegality or incompetence by any employee including Board Members of the past and present. 

Lastly, the Association champions for operational efficiency with review of significant cost drivers such as carrying out procurement processes based on objective decision making criteria while balancing competition, transparency and integrity; reorganize KQ Airline fleet to one manufacturer type Boeing and replace Embraer 190 fleet with Boeing 737 multi-purpose passenger aircraft. 

Sen. Esther Okenyuri, Sen. Jackson Mandago, Sen. Crystal Asige and Sen. Andrew Omtatah were in the meeting.