Several Senators are now blaming unbridled greed by top government officials as the reason for the depletion of the military aircraft fleet, even after the acquisition of 130 aircraft, with only 27 currently in working condition.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah said that security is a pillar of the state and that anyone found culpable of purchasing substandard aircraft for the Kenya Defence Forces has compromised national security and has therefore committed a treasonable offence.
Omtatah said acquiring aircraft that compromised the lives of our soldiers at risk is equivalent to the bombing of a military base, with the state required to take action on all those who have participated in weakening the Kenya Air Force through fraudulent acquisitions.
“It should be treated as a treasonable offence for anyone to purchase old military planes that had already been used in war-torn areas and were now in bad shape to be used by our military. It is unacceptable that out of 130 military planes, only 27 can be used at the moment,” said Omtatah.
Makueni Senator Daniel Maanzo said that there is a major scandal in the acquisition of spare parts for use by the military aircraft and negligence, which not only jeopardises the lives of the military officers using them but also members of the public who may use them once in a while.
Maanzo said that it should be recalled that several Members of Parliament who were on a peace mission in Marsabit died following a military plane crash, which is a clear indicator that it is not only the KDF officers who are likely to be affected in case of a tragedy.
He said militaries globally have the best planes and best-trained pilots, and it was sad some individuals are compromising national security, pointing out that when civilian boards military planes, they sign consent forms that the military will not be held accountable in case of anything.
“We require thorough investigations since our military aircraft are not very old. We need to know how much the country has lost over the years due to the acquisition of 130 aircraft with only 27 said to be in a working condition, this is compromises our national security,” said Maanzo.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherarkey said that the National Assembly must make deliberate budgetary allocation for the service and maintenance of these aircraft, with the relevant parliamentary committee doing a follow-up scrutiny of their purchases.
“The relevant parliamentary committee should do a follow-up on the military aircraft and report back to the house, while the manufacturers of these aircraft must provide answers on their engagement for maintenance,” said Cherarkey.
