The Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) through its General secretary has today called for the immediate resignation of the Chief Executive officer of KQ Mbuvi Ngunze and chairman of the board of directors Amb. Dennis Awori or else they will go on a seven-day strike.
According to KALPA, the association says it lacks confidence in the current management and does not have the skills needed to take decisive action relating to the airline’s strategic operations to aid in its performance which has continued to take a nose-dive.
A forensic audit that was carried out by Deloitte in September 2015 reveals a host of ills, both historical and current, bedeviling Kenya’s national carrier. The report reveals exorbitant payouts to American consultancy firm, McKinsey RTS. An action the association has termed as painting a very grim picture of the leadership’s misplaced priorities.
The association blames the management for focusing on cost cutting methods which include selling the company’s assets at a throwaway price instead of focusing on recovery methods.
According to Captain Paul Gichinga, “The strike notice has got nothing to do with pay, terms and conditions of employment.”
According to the association, for the past one year since the company started taking a nose-dive and making loses, brain drain has been witnessed with the association losing 50 pilots to Middle East airlines. The situation has become dire such that the government has intervened to try and curb the number of pilots leaving for greener pastures.
The association has issued a 7-day strike notice from 5.00a.m (local time), Tuesday 18th October 2016, when they will down their tools until there is a comprehensive change of guard at KQ.
The association is calling for a team with vital credentials in commercial aviation and business transformation to be put in place to oversee the recovery of Kenya Airways.