The Senate Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialization and Tourism Chaired by Kajiado Senator, Lenku Ole Kanar Seki held a meeting today to consider response from the Ministry of Road, Transport and Public Works on a Statement requested by Sen. Samson Cherarkey on Operations and Financial Status of Kenya Airways. 

Sen. Cherarkey wanted the Committee to apprise the Senate on the current operational and financial status of Kenya Airways, stating measures if any, 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 Senator also wanted 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.

The Committee found the response from the Ministry to be inadequate hence resolved to investigate the matter further by inviting the relevant stakeholders such as the management of KQ, the Associations at KQ, the CS Ministry of Road, Transport and Public Works among others.