Parliament Committee now summons Transport CS, Treasury over KQ woes

NAIROBI, KENYA: The National Assembly Transport Committee has now summoned teams from both the Transport Ministry and the Treasury to explain the status of the troubled national carrier, Kenya Airways in the wake of the declaration of a Sh 25.7 billion loss.
The Committee chairman, Starehe MP Maina Kamanda directed acting Transport CS James Macharia and Treasury's Henry Rotich to appear before the committee on Thursday to give the status of the national carrier and how it intends to navigate the turbulence occasioned by the huge loss declared last week.
"We want to know what the status of Kenya Airways is because it is partly owned by the Government, which has a 29 percent shareholding, before we can even be seized of the matter," said Kamanda on Monday.
Infrastructure Principal Secretary John Mosonik, who is also holding the Transport docket after the suspension of his colleague Nduva Muli, was unable to give the parliamentary committee a preliminary statement on the loss-making company, where the government holds a 29 percent shareholding.
Instead the PS asked for more time to contact Treasury on the actual status of the company before giving the Government statement, given the political and executive concerns over the huge loss posted by the national carrier.
"If I give you my preliminary view, it may be inaccurate. I would need to contact Treasury on this. It is an issue that falls both under our Ministry and Treasury and it would only be fair that we respond to an issue where we have gathered enough details," said Mosonik.
The PS said they would also wish to get more information from Kenya Airways management on its future plans.