New corruption scandal in Kenya

Something is brewing at the Kenya Police Airwing and it’s not smelling too good, writes Mwalimu Mati Documents have come to light regarding the award of a US$12.8 million (Ksh 840 million) contract to overhaul 4 Russian built helicopters operated by the Kenya Police Airwing.

It would appear that 9 years after they were bought in 1998, these 4 helicopters have consumed close to US$ 15 million each and Kenyans are now being asked to spend an additional US$ 12.8 million to overhaul them. This calls for an immediate explanation from the Government of Kenya as to why we are throwing good money after bad, servicing these second hand helicopters which have done nothing to improve either our debt or security situation.

Kenyans are also entitled to know what action is contemplated against the public officers (Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Police Commissioners) over the years who have charged our collective account with what is clearly a bad deal worth over US$ 60 million or Ksh 4.2 billion.

Until these documents surfaced, as far as we knew, the matter of the junk helicopters was at a rest. The position, as we knew it to be, was that as of June 30th 2006, the outstanding debt related to the helicopters remained at just under Ksh 350 million and that this debt was recorded as being owed to J.S. Schroder Bank. It was our hope that the investigations by Kenya Anti Corruption Commission and the special assignment of Price Water House Coopers would eventually reveal the truth about these expensive helicopters, and which public officers and their associates we would be demanding to see punished for the misadventure.

What we could never have imagined is that in 2007, the helicopters would still be used to appropriate even more tax money (actually Ksh 840 million) in what is a dubious contract to overhaul them.