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{
    "id": 606881,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/606881/?format=api",
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    "content": "not necessarily the majority shareholder, but the biggest shareholder of the airline. The Government should, therefore, take action to the tune of the amount of shareholding it has in the airline. That means that KLM and other shareholders are exposed to the tune of the Kshs18 billion that we own because the airline owes Kshs18 billion and is having serious cash flow problems. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, when nations go building fantastic airports like the one in Singapore, Schipol Airport or Dubai which is, perhaps the best, they usually have an airline to the airport’s name. We are in the process of building, perhaps the best airport in Africa. Upgrading the one that we have; are we going to build an airport for Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates or Etihad and other airlines that are slowly taking away our passengers? I recall in the Ninth Parliament when I was the Chairman of the Finance, Planning and Trade Committee of the National Assembly, I made a ruling that our Committee should not fly any other airline, except Kenya Airways in order to make sure that we support our airline and so that money stays at home. Today, as the Chairman of the Information, Communication and Technology Committee, I am afraid I cannot make a similar proposal to my Committee because I cannot tell when the airline will fly and when it will not fly because issues that are dealt with by the Committee cannot be exposed to such inefficiency. I think the Mover of this Motion has done so at an appropriate time so that we can consider and investigate the ills that have befallen our dear airline. More importantly is to come with a bird’s eye view and look from the inside and outside so that as independent observers and investigators, we can identify the problem, where it came from and what the solution may be, no matter how painful it may be. I would not want to pre-empt what we might recommend, but one of the problems we are suffering from as a nation is the inward way of looking at things where we think that national pride is equal to appointing individuals who have no business being in some of the positions we have given them. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am all for Kenyans taking all the local jobs, but I would want to remind this House that the Governor of the Bank of England is actually a Canadian. It is not that they cannot find a Briton to do it; on the contrary, they have looked for the most efficient person. If you look at the various coaches of the various teams across the world, no matter how much pride the nations that they come from have in them, nonetheless you look at the most efficient way of doing things. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, there is a sense in which Kenya Airways moved from a service oriented industry in a service oriented sector to a production oriented industry in a service oriented sector. There lies a big challenge because when you go on an airlines buying or leasing spree---. Forget what is happening inside the cabin, as we have experienced as Members who travel quite a bit in the country and outside. We have experienced this. For example, the “Sky team” does not travel on Kenya Airways. It travels in these small things because they--- never mind."
}