Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has come out to clarify reports that he formed a team to investigate the cause of the chopper crash that killed former Chief of Defense Forces General Francis Ogolla.
In a statement, Murkomen said the team gazetted on Friday, April 19, was formed earlier on April 8 to investigate recent air accidents involving Kenyan-registered aircraft.
According to the CS, both international and domestic laws do not give civilians the authority to investigate accidents involving military aircraft.
He went on to explain that the mandate of investigating air accidents involving military aircraft is a preserve of the military institutions contrary to reports published on Saturday, April 20.
“That is the preserve of military institutions, and in the case of Kenya, Kenya Defence Forces, (KDF),” Murkomen noted in the statement.
“The Ministry-initiated investigations should not, therefore, be confused with the process being undertaken by KDF. The Ministry of Roads and Transport deals purely with civil aviation investigations touching on both private and commercial aircraft which are non-military and non-state.”
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In the statement, Murkomen clarified that the decision to form an investigating team was informed by recent spike of accidents involving Kenya-registered aircraft in South Sudan and Somalia.
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In addition, the investigative team will seek to establish the root cause of air crashes involving private and civilian aircraft in the country, including the recent one involving two aircraft at Wilson Airport.
Further in his statement, Murkomen explained that Cabinet had in October 2023 approved a request to form the Kenya Transport Accident Investigation Bureau (KTAIB), a body mandated to strengthen the current architecture of accident investigations in Kenya.
According to him, the process of drafting guidelines for the bureau is ongoing with the goal of strengthening the ability of the Ministry to carry out investigations for land, sea, rail, air, and pipeline accidents in line with established modern practices in developed countries.
Also Read: Murkomen Makes New Appointments After Spike in Chopper Crashes
Coincidence of the investigative team with General Ogolla’s death
The Ministry had sparked speculations about the timing of the formation of an investigations team that came barely a day after the tragic incident involving a Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) chopper on Thursday, April 18.
Vide a gazette notice published over the weekend, Murkomen appointed a team led by Captain Peter Maranga as its chairperson and Engineer Fredrick Aggrey Opot as the vice chairperson to investigate the air incidents.
The team, according to the notice, would prioritize a scrutiny of reports provided by Somali and South Sudanese authorities regarding air crashes involving Kenyan aircraft.
Other members of the team include Captain Nduati Herman Njama, Lieutenant Colonel Mike Mulwa, Ephantus Kamau, Captain Valentine Wendoh, and Captain Martyn Lunani.
Coming against the background of the tragic passing of 10 KDF officers, the investigative team sparked speculations of the motive behind it with pressure piling on the government to investigate the cause of the crash. Meanwhile, the government has assured that relevant authorities will conclude investigations to ascertain the cause of the April 18 crash.
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