The shame of outdated, grounded Air Force planes as VIPs get priority

A military chopper getting ready to airlift the bodies in body bags from a crash site at Emerit in Kajiado County. [File, Standard] 

A year after a tragic plane crash claimed the life of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) chief, Gen Francis Ogolla, and nine others, the Kenya Air Force (KAF) is grappling with a troubling reality: a dwindling and outdated fleet.

Of over 130 aircraft acquired by the KDF over the years, only 27 remain operational. The rest have succumbed to crashes, maintenance issues, or obsolescence.