Nandi Senator Samson Cherargey wants the government to state measures it's taking to arrest losses by national carrier Kenya Airways which stood at Sh38.26 billion by December 2022.
The senator, who is seeking a statement from the Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialisation and Tourism, said the government should further apprise the House on the current operational and financial status of the airline.
“The government should outline strategies that the management of KQ has implemented to ensure timely repayment of loans without incurring additional interests and penalties,” he added.
He further asked the government to provide reasons contributing to the increasing operational costs of the airline.
“The government should also state the number of employees, their skills and jobs assigned, and address the concerns that the management has favoured recruitment of foreign workers for positions that could be filled by Kenyan professionals,” he said.
Nominated senator Veronica Maina termed the situation at the national airline a sad story.
“I have not seen a company hitting this kind of losses, a whopping Sh38.26 billion, without suffering the fate of bankruptcy proceedings or being wound up. Every moment, this company is injected with public funds without accountability,” she said.
Maina added that Kenyans are going for Qatar Airways and Emirates Airlines because of the gross inefficiency of KQ.
“For the longest time, KQ was the Pride of Africa. It was the leading airline even ahead of South African Airways. It was also ahead of Egypt Air and many other airlines,” she added.
She added that Kenyans have watched the growth of airlines like Emirates Airlines as KQ stagnated.
“We have also watched Qatar Airways grow and by-pass KQ, which was an airline that was serving the whole of the African Continent,” she lamented.
Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga said losses at KQ “is not by mismanagement, but by design.”
“KQ has continued to make losses because whenever it does so, the money is paid from the taxpayers. It is a way to siphon money from Kenyans,” he claimed.
“The same case applies to KenGen, Kenya Power and Kenya Ports Authority,” he added.
Wamatinga further claimed equipment owned and hired by KQ belongs to the ‘who is who’ in this society.