Former airports boss breaks silence on Arturs

By Ngumbao Kithi

Six years after being forced out of office over the Artur brothers’ saga, former Kenya Airports Authority Deputy Managing Director Naomi Sidi has broken her silence on the affair and the circumstances under which she was fired.

In 2006 Ms Sidi was accused of allowing the so-called brothers, who are now believed to be international crooks, access to the VIP lounge at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

She now says her exit from the State corporation was planned by powerful forces to make way for a member of a certain community after the retirement of then Managing Director George Muhoho.

Ms Sidi, who plans to vie for the position of Senator for Kilifi County, claims her alleged involvement with the Artur brothers was planned so that a reason could be found to fire her.

She believes it was part of a plan to allow “someone from a certain region” to rise to the top job at KAA after Mr Muhoho’s retirement.

Ms Sidi claims that she was the most qualified to take over his job.

Mathews Wamalwa was appointed to replace her but was overlooked for the top job when Mr Muhoho retired. Instead the Government appointed Stephen Gichuki the MD.

Observers say Mr Wamalwa was a stopgap who would allow those planning the succession to say that he had not served in office long enough.

Ms Sidi’s revelations come as controversy rages over how Transport minister Amos Kimunya has handled nominations to the board of the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).

Tenure extension

KPA and KAA fall under the same ministry. Another parastatal which falls under the ministry of Transport, Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), is also mired in controversy over how its MD was allowed an extension of tenure for a third term.

Ms Sidi claims that those who wanted her out had even tried to implicate her in drugs at one time.

“Some people wanted me out of the State corporation and they had to use all manner of tricks and politics to achieve their mission,” she said.

She claims her enemies used all tactics to frustrate her so that she could leave office.

“Some even planted bhang in my office so I could be implicated in wrongdoing, but they failed,” she told The County Weekly last week.

She claimed to have been unaware of the illegal activities of the infamous brothers whose revelation shocked the country.

She says she had been under instructions to allow the Artur brothers access to the VIP lounge.

“Those were Government guests and not mine.  That office was not my office, it belonged to the Government and those people came to the office as State guests, not mine,” she said.

Sidi, who now runs her own consultancy firm, Sidi International, said she was set up so that she could be kicked out of office and that since she was suspended about five years ago, she had not been paid her terminal dues totalling Sh29 million.

“I was neither issued with a suspension or sacking letter and I have never received my final dues from KAA since I was kicked out of office,” she said.

She said her woes started just after the death of former Tourism minister Karisa Maitha, who helped her to get the job.

High office

Even prior to the arrival of the Artur brothers, she said, she had no peace as people were using politics to kick her out of office.

Ms Sidi, who is the current patron of the Coast People’s Forum, said she had decided to speak out on the issue since she was seeking a high office so that people do not start questioning her integrity during campaigns.

“I want people to know that I entertained those people on behalf of the Government, and that is why two commissions investigating the saga did not link me with any wrongdoing.  If I had done wrong, I would have been jailed,” she said.

She added: “I do not want people to start thinking that the golden chains, bangle and earrings I’m wearing were given to me by the Artur brothers.  I am a successful businesswoman with my own consultancy firm in the aviation industry.

She wondered why the officers who gave the Artur brothers Government firearms and those who made them police inspectors were not sacked.

“Why? It is because they do not come from Coast Province. Was the fact that those people entered my office enough reason to dismiss me even though I did not sign a single document?” she asked.

She said she received the Artur brothers after receiving a call, which if she had disobeyed she would have either been sacked or prosecuted.

“Using God’s wisdom, I did not sign any document relating to the Artur brothers,” she said.

A committee led by former Police Commissioner Shadrack Kiruki as well as a Parliamentary committee whose report was adopted by Parliament recently investigated the Artur saga.

Mr Sidi likened her suffering at the KAA to the appointment of nine KPA directors from one community.