KENYA MPs BELIEVE CHOPPER CRASH `NO ORDINARY ACCIDENT BUT A FOUL PLAY`

 At the addressing of a news conference at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi,  Kenya MPs have expressed their feelings that  there is a scent of  `foul play` surrounding the fatal crash of Police helicopter that killed Kenya Internal Security Minister George Saitoti, his assistant Joshua Orwa Ojodeh and four other government officials,and gave notice of their intention to set up a select committee to conduct parallel investigations.

 MPs expressed doubts that the police chopper crash "was an ordinary accident." They said previous inquiries of similar incidences have been "shoddy".Kenya  National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende said a motion has already been filed seeking to create the select committee. On Monday, the government formed a committee headed by Kenya Court of Appeal Judge Kalpana Rawal to investigate the helicopter crash.

 Juja MP William Kabogo, who said he is a trained pilot, doubted that the crash was due to fog or pilot error and called for thorough investigations and compensation for the victims. “As a helicopter pilot, I am not fully convinced about the story we are being given,” said Kabogo. He said there was no way two pilots could have been in confusion for four minutes prior to the crash

 Kilgoris MP Gideon Konchella said the inquest should be held to answer the questions that the public is asking about the helicopter crash.“As far as we are concerned, there are more questions than answers. We’d want to know who serviced the aircraft, if it was serviced; what instruments are inbuilt in it?

Kenya national flag glimmers on the wrecked shiny metal panel 
of the crashed chopper fin

“Why was it flying so low? Why did it turn back when we all know that a helicopter can land anywhere? Was someone controlling the aircraft from somewhere else?” Mr Konchella posed

.Mr Konchella said that he flew with Prof Saitoti a few weeks back and he was told that pilots fly to Rironi to get the bearings to Bomet and Ndhiwa, and that there was no point of the helicopter going to Ngong.

 Mathira MP Ephraim Maina who owns a helicopter, said that the bits and pieces surrounding the helicopter crash did not add up.
“As a frequent flyer in a helicopter, I have my doubts. What is this that happened so suddenly that the pilot of the aircraft was not even able to contact the control tower?

“How did the helicopter just come down like a stone?” posed Mr Maina, who is also the chairman of the Central Kenya Parliamentary Group. He said there was no point in having an inquiry that does not reveal the “truth”.

He said the government should get certified aircraft investigators to lead the inquiry.

Narok South MP Nkoidila ole Lankas labelled the accident mystery and called for “thorough, exhaustive and convincing” investigations.
“This crash is not ordinary; it is not normal; there are a lot of grey areas that need to be covered. This should be looked at from all angles,” Mr Lankas said. He took issue with the government call for calm.

“You cannot intimidate people by telling them ‘don’t talk’ yet you’re not giving them answers,” he said.

 Elsewhere, Eldoret North MP William Ruto, who led more than 20 Rift Valley MPs in consoling the bereaved families said any investigations carried out should address all suspicions and answer all questions, “No stone should be left unturned until the truth is known. All questions must be answered,” said Ruto.

  The idea of a parallel investigation was supported by Heritage minister William ole Ntimama who also said  families of the victims should also be involved

.Similar sentiments were echoed by Kisumu Town West MP Olago Aluoch and the Defence assistant minister Joseph Nkaissery who is the MP for Kajiado Central. “The government has a duty to ensure we get to the bottom of this. We want the government to come up with a clear report,” said Nkaissery. Jakoyo Midiwo (Gem) said the investigations should be credible. He said Transport Minister Amos Kimunya should have reconvened the committee that investigated the 2003 Busia plane crash as its members were aviation experts and produced a credible report. The committee was set up to investigate the Busia crash in which then Labour minister Ahmed Khalif died and several other ministers and MPs were injured.

Kenya Tv broadcast showing people flock the crash scene soon after news broke out

Charles Kilonzo (Yatta) raised questions about the quality of aircraft the government was allocating to fly government officials and said their service and maintenance records should be scrutinised. He expressed concern that some of the choppers and planes still in use might be as old as 30 years. Najib Balala (Mvita) told the House that at least 15 MPs including ministers have died through air crashes since 2003 and said it was time to review the policy on VIP transport.

Preliminary investigators accumulate clues from crash scene

  Technical data of the plane from the manufacturer show that the AS350 B3e police air-wing helicopter was equipped with an instrument used in relaying signals to the control tower.

Aviation experts said that data transmitted to the control tower by the gadget known as a transponder would provide investigators with clues on how the plane went down.

“A transponder gives signals to the people on the ground where the plane is and the height it is cruising at. For example it shows that the plane is 60 miles away cruising at 30,000 feet,” a pilot, who did not wish to be named, said.

He added that a blackbox was normally fitted on commercial planes, but it was an expensive installation for non-commercial aircraft. The Police Air Wing Commandant Rodgers Mbithi told  press on Tuesday that the ill-fated plane was not fitted with a black box.

“This type of a helicopter is small and did not have the black box,” Mr Mbithi said. According to the technical data of the plane from the manufacturer, other instruments and avionics include altitude encoder, emergency locator transmitter, fire detection system, air-intake protection grids and altimeter.

 Mr Mbithi also explained that the police helicopter was bought through open and competitive tender. “The tender was floated last year for companies that met the qualifications,” he said.

The funeral committee chaired by Kenya Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka yesterday proposed that Prof Saitoti be buried on Saturday and Ojode on Sunday. The committee headed by acting head of the civil service Francis Kimemia held its first sitting on Tuesday and  met again Wednesday morning to confirm the dates. Others at the meeting included Cabinet ministers James Orengo, Amos Kimunya, Naomi Shaban, Dalmas Otieno and Wycliffe Oparanya, assistant ministers Gideon Konchellah and Joseph Nkaissery and permanent secretaries Bitange Ndemo, Ludeki Chweya, Mutea Iringo and Andrew Mondoh.

Late Luke Oyugi

Kenya Prime Minister Raila Odinga has asked the families of the six victims to nominate a representative to the investigations committee headed by Justice Rawal. “The government has constituted a team. The families are free to appoint representatives to sit on the team and take care of their interests,” Raila said. Several ministers and MPs  continued to visit the homes of the six crash victims.

Late Nancy Gituanja

At the CID Training School in Nairobi, the four police officers — pilot Superintendent Nancy Gituanja, her co-pilot Luke Oyugi and Saitoti's bodyguards Inspector Joshua Tongei and Sergeant Thomas Murimi — were awarded Bravery Awards and Wound Stripe Awards by the Manu Chandaria Foundation. Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere and industrialist Manu Chandaria presented the families of the officers with the awards and certificates of merit.