PS declines to answer House team probing KQ

By ALLAN KISIA

Tempers flared at a parliamentary committee meeting, which had summoned Transport PS Cyrus Njiru to explain recent sackings by national carrier Kenya Airways (KQ).

The Labour and Social Welfare Committee meeting ended abruptly following a bitter exchange of words between the PS and legislators.

The chairperson of the committee, Sofia Abdi, ended the meeting after about 20 minutes and announced that they will meet again at a date she will communicate later.

She said Mr Njiru would appear before the committee with Transport minister Amos Kimunya.

Trouble started when Belgut MP Charles Keter asked the PS whether he sits on the KQ board.

In his response, Njiru said he sits on the board both as PS and in his individual capacity.

“So if you are sacked as PS today, will you continue to sit on the board,” asked Ms Abdi.

The PS told the committee only the board could answer that question and asked members to redirect the query.

His response drew anger from Nyakach MP Pollyns Ochieng, who said Njiru cannot tell the committee whom to ask what questions.

Petitioned Parliament

“The PS cannot give us direction on how to do our work. If he is not in a position to answer a question, he should just say so,” he stated.

Njiru was also asked the Government’s current stake at the KQ.

“That question can be best be answered by the Treasury,” he responded, sparking fury among committee members.

The chairman said they asked the questions because they wanted to know the role of the PS at the board.

“If you feel uncomfortable with the questions, then you will appear before this committee with the minister,” she said. 

Retrenched employees of KQ recently petitioned Parliament to help them get their jobs back.

In a petition tabled in the House by Naivasha MP John Mututho, the former employees asked the Government, through Parliament, to nullify the ongoing retrenchment.

The employees further want those affected to be reinstated unconditionally and without any victimisation.

KQ recently said it would retrench another 578 employees under the ongoing staff rationalisation programme.

This is in addition to another 126 who were sent home early this month.

Kenya Airways CEO Titus Naikuni told a news conference that the voluntary retrenchment was a success with 21 per cent of the 600 members of the 4,800 staff set to be retrenched deciding to leave voluntarily.