Kenyan pilots make fresh demands, warn of strike

Transport CS James Macharia

The Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) wants the Government to step in and help Kenya Airways return to profitability.

Addressing the media Wednesday in reaction to the airline's poor financial results, the pilots want the State to force the KQ board to adopt the findings of the Senate Committee on Kenya Airways, which raised a number of shortcomings in the company.

The pilots, while issuing fresh strike threat, also accused the KQ management of retaining foreigners at the expense of local employees during the first phase of the just-concluded staff rationalisation exercise that began on July 8.

"Currently, we have 70 foreigners employed as cabin crew, a number that is way much bigger than that of locals who were left out in the rationalisation process," Captain Githiga explained.

In April this year, the pilots called off a strike after a six-hour stalemate when a crisis meeting was held between Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia and KALPA that brokered a return-to-work deal. They are now demanding the changes proposed in the current management.