The family Lydia Olando Maloba, one of the two Kenya Airways (KQ) staff detained in Kinshasa has called on the government for help in seeking her release.
Lydia’s family asked the Kenyan government to intervene, noting that efforts by KQ alone were not sufficient as their Kin, who despite being set free by the Courts in DRC, remains in Custody 16 days after the incident occurred.
Speaking to the press at their home in Nairobi on May 5, her daughter Yvonne Mary Maneno who was overcome with grief expressed positivity and trust in the government to bring her mother back home.
“We’re really praying, we’ve been in a place of prayer and of course we really trust in God, but we really need, by the grace of God if the government can just come through and help us to find a solution for this so that our mum can come back because she has been devoted in her work,” Yvonne said.
Family of Lydia Olando Seeks Justice
The family is also seeking to have Lydia’s husband Olando Maloba allowed to see or speak to her.
According to the relatives, Olando has been stranded in Kinshasa for 13 days with no help in freeing Lydia.
Also Read: Govt Responds to Detention of Kenya Airways Employees by DRC Military
Another family member echoed that the issue was beyond KQ, adding that the government should intervene when a citizen of Kenya is being held in a military facility.
In Mombasa, Lydia’s parents who are still disturbed by her detention appealed to the relevant authorities to keep them informed.
“I would like to request that they keep us informed and work hard so that our daughter and her colleague are able to be released from where they are being detained so they can come back home,” noted the father.
The station manager’s mother revealed that the situation was troubling for them and prayed for her release.
Additionally, renowned veteran Journalist Leonard Mambo Mbotela, who is Lydia’s uncle revealed the circumstances that led to her detention.
“There was a huge cargo meant to be delivered somewhere, so she wanted to know the details of the cargo, who it belonged to and where it was heading to. That was her only fault,” Leonard spoke.
Also Read: Kenya Airways Suspends Flights to DRC
Kenya Airways Staff Detained In DRC
The station manager based in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was detained alongside her Congolese Colleague Olivier Lufungula at the military camp on April 19.
The two were reportedly apprehended based on the accusation of a missing customs documentation related to valuable cargo scheduled for transport on a KQ flight on April 12, 2024.
Despite being set free by the courts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the duo has remained detained.
Efforts to release the two have borne no fruits despite the airline protesting the move by suspending its flight to Kinshasa.
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