Kenya Airways Hits Turbulence After Besigye is Thrown Off Plane

Risdel Kasasira

12 May 2011

Kenya Airways flight 410 from Nairobi to Entebbe yesterday might have landed without incident but it has left a lot of turbulence in the air.
Officials from the two governments as well as the airline were yesterday denying responsibility for the decision to throw Dr Kizza Besigye off the 9am flight but the denials left more questions than answers.

In Kampala, Mr Fred Opolot, a government spokesman, said the airline’s claim that Uganda would not allow flight KQ410 to land at Entebbe International Airport with Dr Besigye on board, was “wrong”.

Dr Besigye was travelling with his wife, Ms Winnie Byanyima, and a nurse and had their boarding passes for that flight when a Kenya Airways manager told them that there were instructions not to allow them to board.

The makings of an international incident have been prompted by yesterday’s events at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport even as President Museveni prepares to swear-in today.

Not true
“It’s simply not true. I was instead told that he had a problem with the booking process. Let them tell the truth,” Mr Opolot said. Asked to clarify on the alleged “intelligence report” quoted by Kenya Airways in their explanation which revealed the government’s involvement, Mr Opolot said: “We have explained our position and I hope it has been clearly understood”.

Attempts to explain away the incident are meeting scepticism and anger in Kampala and Nairobi where members of Parliament accused their respective governments of conniving to unlawfully bar a citizen from his own country.

While it is also unusual for airline companies flying here to have intelligence gathering outfits operating parallel to the Civil Aviation Authority, CAA spokesperson Ignie Igundura last night indicated that the government has no problem with Kenya Airways having “a spy network” at Entebbe.

“Airline companies are private businesses and they have their practices, procedures on which they operate their business,” he said. “We are concerned about operational standards and as long as their practices do not infringe on our operations, it’s okay.”

Meanwhile, the General Manager Kenya Airways-Uganda, Mr Donald Ajuoga, said: “Happiness is our number one priority to clients, including Dr Besigye. But our internal intelligence network composed of cargo and civil aviation had information that the plane would not land.”

But according to an aviation expert from an airline company who did not want to be named, airline companies can do intelligence gathering only on landing safety measures like weather at the destination –making it curious that they would somehow have the sort of intelligence referred to in their refusal to allow Dr Besigye to fly.

“Of course before the flight, you must know about the weather, runaways and other safety measures but issues to do with security and clearance to land are in the hands of the state,” he said.

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1. Kenya Airways statement on the matter

2. Kenya Airways would like to confirm to its passengers, customers, investors and the public that Ugandan Opposition Leader Dr. Kizza Besigye is now scheduled to depart on KQ414/11th May departing Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for Entebbe International Airport at 1750hrs.

3. Dr. Besigye was earlier denied boarding on KQ 410/11th May at 0800hrs following information from Kenya Airways internal intelligence sources that the aircraft would not be allowed to land at the Entebbe International Airport if he was on board.

4. Dr. Besigye thus could not board the aircraft as Kenya Airways had to first ascertain this information without inconveniencing the other passengers destined for Entebbe.

5. The airline has now confirmed and issued Dr. Besigye and his wife tickets to depart Nairobi this evening.

6. The airline takes earliest opportunity to apologize to Dr. Besigye for any inconveniences caused.

Titus Naikuni
Group Managing Director and CEO

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