Jetways Airline kicked out of JKIA after security breach

KCAA withdraws Jetways Airlines’ certificate in swoop on whistleblowers. [Courtesy]

A local airline feared to have compromised security at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has lost an operating certificate pending further investigations.

Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) announced the withdrawal of Jetways Airlines’ certificate as it continued a crackdown on suspected whistleblowers.

KCAA Director General Gilbert Kibe warned that further punitive actions would be taken against the airline should the investigations confirm security violations.

Captain Kibe’s statement came before the arrest of Kenneth Yego, the security manager of Kenya Airways’ cargo sector, on suspicion he aided the journalists who investigated and unearthed the security gap.

Mr Yego is the second KQ employee to be locked up, a day after his colleague, Peter Kiongo, was charged in court for trespass and released on a Sh20,000 bond.

Sources told The Standard he would be presented in court this morning.

It is feared the national carrier’s employees are being intimidated in a wider cover-up as family members of a top official are said to be staff of Jetways.

Following the expose, police boss Joseph Boinnet led a group of top security officers to JKIA late on Tuesday to probe the embarrassing breach.

His investigations would centre on lack of prerequisite security equipment that limit access to the airside. 

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), which manages JKIA, had earlier closed access for the cargo freighter over the security concerns.

“On the basis of these serious allegations, Kenya Airports Authority has temporarily closed airside access to the Jetways facility to allow security agencies to further investigate,” read a statement from KAA.