We have not licensed police airwing, says KCAA

By Isaiah Lucheli

Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) neither inspects the safety nor issue operation licenses to aircrafts belonging to the police.

A commission of inquiry into the chopper crash that killed Cabinet Minister George Saitoti heard that the authority whose mandate includes training, testing, inspecting regulating and licensing of aircrafts and pilots in the country has not licensed police air wing who operated the Eurocopter that crashed.

Benson Mwaura Thiga a Flight Inspector with KCAA told the commission that the authority had not issued all the police aircrafts with Air Operation Certificate (AOC), which is mandatory for all the airplanes that fly the country’s airspace.

Mwaura whose duties include flight operation and safety aviation in the country added that the police aircrafts and pilots had not been tested for competence and safety by KCAA including those who were involved in the tragic crash.

He explained that his department dealt with compliance with air safety and those who fell short of the stipulated requirements were not issued with license to operate.

“For any person to operate an aircraft in the country, he has to get an AOC. It takes five phases for one to be able to get the certificate and it is renewed annually. The Kenya Police Airwing does not have this certificate because we do not inspect their aircrafts,” he told the commission.

He explained that KCAA had no dealings with the police and they were working on assumption that the force had their own inspectors.

Mwaura, however, confirmed that he was involved in the deliberation process of the purchase of the ill-fated Eurocopter though he explains that he had minimal contribution in the procurement process.

Saitoti’s family lawyer had asked the KCAA officer whether there was any other department or government that dealt with the air safety and compliance to which he responded that he was not aware.

He also explained that he was not aware that the aviation Act gave the minister of transport powers to do audit of state aircrafts.

The committee adjourned and would resume on Monday.