Friday, February 27, 2004 

Probe into VP's chopper drama launched

By DAVID OKWEMBAH
Daily Nation

Investigations have been launched into the emergency landing on Wednesday of a helicopter carrying Vice-President Moody Awori and other government officials.
The chairman of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority board, Mr Charles Wako, said yesterday he had instructed the director, Mr Chris Kutto, to establish the cause of the incident.
The chief investigator, Mr Peter Wakahia, had also written to the Kenya Police Airwing commandant asking for a full report.
Mr Awori was among 18 passengers, including prisons boss Abraham Kamakil, principal immigration officer Henry ole Ndiema, National Youth Service director Japhet Mwania and top officials of the VP's Home Affairs ministry.
The aircraft reportedly developed mechanical problems that forced it to crash-land in a field near Emali, on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.
It is one of four police acquired in 2001. Their buying was criticised by then Opposition leader, Mr Mwai Kibaki, who described them as old and decrepit.
They were acquired in what was described as a questionable transaction not provided for in the national budget.
Manufactured in the Tartarstan Republic, the Russian Federation, the choppers were said to be worth Sh76 million each, including spare parts.
Questions were also raised at the time about the viability of the deal since no pilot in the police airwing could fly them.
Instead, police sources told the Nation, Russian pilots, engineers and other maintenance staff were acquired as part of the deal.
The purchase was said to have been done at the instigation of a politically correct businessman with the collusion of top police officers.
The helicopters, which are meant for short distances, are said to be uneconomical because they consume Sh28,000 of jet fuel per hour, compared to an average of Sh10,000 for ordinary modern choppers.
Queries have also been raised on the condition of all police helicopters. While carrying Information minister Raphael Tuju and other senior government officials on a tour of flood areas in western Kenya, one failed to take off, forcing the team to spend the night in Kisumu Town.