Why police plane picked my daughter-in-law

The sassy daughter-in-law of Colonel (rtd) Rodgers Mbithi, the Kenya Police Air Wing Commandant, who has been in the news lately for using a police plane on the date of the Garissa terror attack, is surprised by the fuss that it has created.

The Nairobian has discovered that the charming mother-of-two with a body to die for, is also a final-year student at the United States International University of Africa (USIU) where she has become an overnight celebrity.

“To be honest, she is shocked and stressed, but I have told her not to worry about it,” Colonel (rtd) Mbithi said.

Although initial reports indicated that the commandant had instructed the crew to pick up his daughter-in-law from Mombasa as the Garissa University College terror attack was ongoing, The Nairobian has since confirmed that the plane was available on time to transport the GSU Recce Company to Garissa.

There were two Cessna Caravan planes at the runway at Wilson Airport by the time the commandos arrived from their Ruiru base for the flight to Garissa.

 Mbithi says he broke no ground rules by allowing his family on the plane on its way back from Mombasa, where it had gone on a Land Away Instrument flight with a crew of two.

“The plane did not deviate from its course or mission, and neither did carrying my daughter-in-law and her young two sons compromise the security of the aircraft or of its personnel,” the retired Air Force Puma helicopter pilot said when we met him in his office.

“They have kept publishing and circulating online photos of my family and friends abroad, or posing next to police planes, but there is nothing unique in that since almost everyone does take photos with the planes,” he added.

“When on a mission, you find many people requesting to take photos, either with the crew or the planes, including inside the cockpit. Since they are Kenyan taxpayers, we see nothing wrong in the requests. We allow them to do that,” he said.

 Mbithi says that the photos circulating are old pictures and none of them was taken on the day of the Garissa attack.

“The father of one of the women in the photos told me that he wanted to sue one of the local newspapers for publishing the photos ‘maliciously’ fished from Instagram, but I told him there is no need,” he told this writer.

According to standard procedure, it is not illegal or unethical to carry passengers on a police plane, as long as the flight course does not deviate or delay.

“If the crew is in agreement,  we don’t see any problem. The passengers become authorised as long as the crew decides to carry them,” Mbithi says

After landing in Mombasa, the plane carried his daughter-in-law who was on her way to Nairobi at the Mombasa International Airport during the 20-minute break, the normal turn around given for engines to cool down after such a flight.

The news that the plane might have delayed the rescue mission in Garissa has put his career at risk,  that is if investigations ordered by Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet establishes that he abused his office.

However, officers at the Air Wing assert that he is the “most honourable man” they have worked under.

“He is being fought by those who are hungry for power and who do not want to see him revive the Air Wing,” one of the officers told The Nairobian.

He has also been involved in diplomatic duties outside the country and served as the presidential pilot for both former presidents Daniel arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki.