Two KQ employees detained by military in DRC

A Kenya Airways Boeing Dreamliner at the JKIA. Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Two Kenya Airways employees are being detained by the Military Intelligence Unit in Kinshasa, DR Congo over alleged missing customs documentation on valuable cargo.

Their detention is despite a court order on their release, Kenya Airways said in a statement on Friday, April 26.

The duo was arrested last week on Friday, their mobile phones confiscated, and all access to them was denied.

"The reason for their arrest was alleged to be missing customs documentation on valuable cargo that was to be transported on a KQ flight on April 12. However, the said cargo was not uplifted or accepted by KQ due to incomplete documentation," KQ Chief Executive Officer Allan Kilavuka said.

On Tuesday this week, a few KQ staff and Kenyan embassy officials paid them a visit at the place of detention.

A military court on Thursday allowed the detainees to be released unconditionally after KQ filed a request. However, according to Kilavuka, that is yet to happen as its staff is still detained.

“All efforts to explain to the military offices that KQ had not accepted the cargo because of incomplete documentation proved futile.”

This comes as Kenya Airways laid out strict measures for all its staff dealing with cargo, saying all its partners must comply before the airline accepts any goods.