Political leaders have now been banned from using Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) helicopters, Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale revealed.
This is a new policy introduced after the military complained politicians were misusing their resources for their gains.
Duale said the KDF has come up with a policy that bars politicians from using KDF choppers.
Duale who was responding to a viewer’s question on whether politicians are allowed to used military helicopters, said the choppers are meant for specific functions within the KDF.
“We have now a policy in KDF, we are not going to carry politicians. Helicopters are meant for specific functions within KDF, they are part and parcel of the assets we have in safeguarding the country. They carry our troops, go to operations so not only helicopters but all our assets, going forward,” Duale said.
Asked whether the Cabinet Secretaries are allowed to use the military helicopters, Duale said it is only him and interior’s Kithure Kindiki are allowed to use the military assets while visiting operation areas.
“I am allowed to use the KDF choppers when flying to an operation area. My colleague from the Ministry of Interior can also use the military assets when flying to our operation area, or use the police assets.
“I drive myself when visiting my rural home. The roads are good,” he added.
This came amid claims the issue of use of the military choppers was part of the root cause of storm in the Kenya Kwanza government.
Insiders said Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua had been denied access to the choppers more than twice after the new policy was introduced.
Other politicians who also sought the services of the choppers as it had been before were turned away.
It was president William Ruto who had earlier allowed the politicians to use the choppers, insiders said.
But after the April 18 chopper crash in Elgeyo Marakwet that killed former Chief of Defence Forces Gen Francis Ogolla, Ruto ordered that there will be no usage of the fleet by politicians.
On May 10, Gachagua was told by the military they had instructions not to carry politicians prompting him to abandon plans to plant trees in Bomet.
On Wednesday, Duale dismissed claims that most of the military equipment used in the country are worn out.
Speaking on the chopper that killed Gen Ogolla, Duale said he had used the chopper more than 15 times, before it crashed.
He noted that the helicopter, a Bell Huey II, was a unique machine that could fly at night, and that KDF troops use the model to fly to very difficult terrains.
“I used the aircraft that killed Ogolla, a number of times, in fact more than 15 times. We used it when we were going to operational areas. It is a very unique machine that can fly at night. Our troops use it in very difficult terrain,” Duale said.
The probe into the chopper crash is ongoing.
A team formed to investigate the chopper crash has visited US as part of the probe into the incident.
The team went to the Bell Textron Inc. company that manufactured the ill-fated chopper with some of the collected parts of the helicopter.
This will enable the manufacturer to among others determine how and why the chopper crashed, Duale revealed.
“We are engaging and have upscaled that up to the manufacturer Bell, of the U.S because they also have an interest,” Duale said.
“Our teams are now in the US and have gone with all the parts and once all that information is collected and recommendations are given to us, we will tell the country if it was mechanical or anything else.”
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