In the latest move to involve the military into civilian affairs, the government is at an advanced stage to hand over the management of all State Owned planes to Kenya Air Force.
According to the Standard newspaper, President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to issue an Executive Order to effect the changes once the plans are completed.
With the changes, all planes owned by the Kenya Police, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), KenGen, Kenya Power, Ketraco and other State agencies will be managed by personnel from Kenya Air Force.
This will be the latest move by the president to transfer civilian operations to the military in a trend that has seen KDF personnel entrenched in major State institutions.
Kenya Air Force Commander Major General Francis Ogolla and Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai met police pilots and engineers on Tuesday at the National Police Service (NPS) air wing based at the Wilson Airport, Nairobi, to announce the plans.
Officials privy to the plans revealed that the planes, which include helicopters and fixed wings aircraft, will be rebranded and placed under the command of Kenya Air Force for accountability.
According to insiders, the move is informed by the belief that military discipline and the insight of intelligence officers are necessary to run the air wing.
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The Kenya Defence Forces and National Intelligence Service appear to have earned the trust of President Kenyatta.
The insiders also said there is a view that military and intelligence personnel are better suited for security-related positions and investigative agencies as they can tap into vital networks.
Also targeted for military takeover is the KWS Airwing, which was established in 1990 and has more than 40 pilots. The air wing, also based at Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, provides a diverse range of services in support of wildlife management and protection activities with its fleet of 12 light and three larger aircraft.
