The National Police Service (NPS) Airwing celebrated a significant milestone, having attained certification as an Approved Aircraft Maintenance Organization (AMO) by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
The AMO certification, which was officially granted on April 9, 2025, authorizes the airwing to independently conduct aircraft maintenance, repairs, and inspections in full compliance with KCAA’s safety rules and regulations.
The Deputy Inspector General of Kenya Police Service Eliud Lagat attended the event.
He said this achievement is not only a testament to the Airwing’s progress, but also a steadfast promise to safety, paving the way for enhanced operational readiness and reliability in aviation support.
“This strategic advancement was realized through the dedication and teamwork of the Airwing’s officers, engineers, and support staff.”
“It will significantly reduce aircraft downtime, ensuring that the Service’s fleet remains mission-ready and capable of responding swiftly to national security and public safety needs,” he said.
Moreover, the certification allows for more efficient training and development of technical personnel, laying the foundation for a highly skilled and self-reliant workforce.
Lagat termed the move a significant step in the transformation of NPS institutions into centres of excellence and strengthening institutional capacity.
The Commandant, NPS Airwing, James Kabo, SAIG, reaffirmed the unit’s vision of becoming a regional hub for aviation excellence, crediting the success to the unwavering support of the entire Airwing staff and the AMO management team, which he leads.
Established in 1949, the NPS Airwing plays a vital role in law enforcement and emergency response, including aerial surveillance, search and rescue, disaster response, and crime prevention.
This certification enhances its capacity to fulfill these functions effectively and safely.
The Airwing runs a fleet of planes for use by the police. They include choppers and fixed wings.
It has in the past days been facing challenges including lack of funding.
A taskforce team on police reforms recommended that the Police Airwing be restored to the exclusive control of NPS forthwith.
However, the restored Airwing should be operated in strict adherence to KCAA standards on maintenance and airworthiness, including qualifications, training, and relevant accreditation of professionals working in NPSAW.
The task force urged Parliament to provide adequate resources and budgetary support for the effective and optimal operation of NPSAW.
Alternatively, the taskforce recommended the Lease Hire of Police aircraft as is the case with Police motor road transport.
The Airwing returned to the police three years after the National Air Support Department (NASD) took control of it.
NPS lost control of its air wing following an executive order from retired President Uhuru Kenyatta that placed all of the government’s air assets under NASD, a department within the Ministry of Defense, in December 2020.
The department was mandated to manage the operations and maintenance of all aviation air assets owned by all government ministries, departments, and agencies including Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited, Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Pipeline Company Limited, Ministry of Health and the Department of Resource Surveys and Remote Sensing.
The move was prompted by complaints about mismanagement, including alleged corruption, which triggered an internal inquiry whose findings were never made public.
The return of the air wing to the police is part of the recommendations made by Justice (Rtd) David Maraga’s Taskforce on Police and Prison Reforms.
An executive order followed, allowing the KDF to quickly assume control of all police aircraft, ensuring proper management, serviceability, and optimal utilisation of all government-owned aircraft.
Within three years, the police had no readily available aircraft for use in emergencies since the majority of their aircraft were unserviceable and four others had crashed.
The taskforce noted that while reports of poor management and technical failures to maintain and operate the Police Air Wing may have prompted the decision to transfer its management to NASD, appropriate measures should have been taken to address the said failures as opposed to transferring the Air Wing to another agency.
“The Taskforce, therefore, recommends that the Police Air Wing be restored to the exclusive control and management of NPS forthwith,” the report notes, adding that during the period the air wing was placed under NASD, critical operations of the service were hampered since it’s a critical asset in their operations such as reconnaissance, casualty evacuation, crowd control, and air traffic control.
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