Ken Kwama
I magine this scenario: The President is travelling in a 40-year old helicopter, cruising about half a kilometre above the ground across dense forests and hills. The plane suddenly develops mechanical problems mid-air.
I find the consequences too incomprehensible to write about. Again, it is extremely disturbing that the military, responsible for the safety of the Puma helicopter that malfunctioned, should be entertaining the idea of us forgetting the incident.
In aviation circles, the type of helicopter that malfunctioned with the President on board are often referred to as "widow makers" because of their reputation of being notoriously dangerous to fly.
The lesson from this mishap is unforgettable. If we allow the thoughts of such a horrific occurrence to fade from our memories, there is chance of recurrence.
I find the military’s argument that the plane’s maintenance had nothing to do with the incident appalling. There is need to dig deep into this, investigate and find out why it happened.
Not long ago, I read a report commissioned by the International Civil Aviation Authority about air safety in Africa. The report, whose title has escaped my memory, stated that most passenger airlines in the continent fly old planes whose maintenance are backed by "sometimes ill fitting second-hand spare parts".
If it is true that someone is supplying Africa with second-hand spare parts, some of which were manufactured by Soviet Union technology that has become obsolete, there are many reasons to believe that our military could be victim of the scheme.
First, because of its penchant to renovate instead of buying new. But the biggest culprits would be the people who sit on procurement committees that decide the fate of these choppers.
With our porous procurement systems and tradition of quoting high prices for Government projects and buying cheap for the decision makers to pocket the ‘change’, there is likelihood someone could have risked the President’s life by buying fake spare parts and pocketing the change.
At the risk of sounding alarmist, I would suggest that this is why Prime Minister Raila Odinga shuns military choppers despite an alleged warning of terrorists’ plans to sabotage a private plane he uses.
The assumption is that the helicopter that billowed smoke while carrying Kibaki is the best kept in our military’s fleet. If that is so, there is a serious problem with the other choppers.
There is need to suspend their operations until the cause of the incident is established and the whole fleet certified safe to fly again.
This should happen immediately to avert a tragedy. Memories of the freak military plane accident that killed prominent personalities in Marsabit in 2006 are still fresh.
Like many other past reports after a tragedy, if something happens today, the report is likely to be relegated to some dusty shelves in the barracks.
