Why Ichung’wah Wants Ruto’s Presidential Plane Upgraded
Following the burial of the late Chief of Defence Forces, General Francis Ogolla, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has strongly advocated for the modernization of military and police aircraft, including the presidential jet.
While addressing the National Assembly on Tuesday, April 23, the candid legislator criticized MPs who frequently challenge military budget allocations.
“At times the military does come before the house looking for resources to modernize equipment, and I have many members during the budget-making process criticize without knowledge,” lamented Ichung’wah.
As a former chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, Ichung’wah urged other lawmakers to focus on upgrading all military equipment, especially the aircraft used by the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, including the presidential aircraft.
The presidential aircraft, popularly referred to as Harambee One, is a Fokker 70 Extended Range (ER) plane. It first touched down in Kenya at the Moi Air Base on December 20, 1995, during Daniel Moi’s presidency.
As stated in the Kenya Air Force’s commemorative book, the aircraft with tail number KAF 308 was initially made in the Netherlands and later upgraded to improve its performance. This modification decreased its passenger capacity to 26 but increased its range.
The choice to acquire a dedicated presidential plane was motivated by the desire for cost savings and operational ease, especially for official trips within Africa and other regions, removing the necessity to regularly charter planes.
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The aircraft has specialized security features designed for transporting Heads of State, but details about the interior and security measures have been kept secret for national security purposes.
In addition, the Kenya Air Force manages and operates the aircraft, identified by the unique KAF 308 markings on its tail, with an estimated worth of around Ksh2 billion.
Ichung’wah’s appeal for modernization aligns with Kenya’s modest aviation capabilities, which include approximately 80 aircraft across 18 different platforms. This situation highlights the need to upgrade military and police equipment to prevent a repeat of recent tragic events.
During the conclusion of the debate, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula firmly instructed lawmakers and leaders from the North Rift region to come together and work on promoting peace.
“If we did not have peace issues in this region, the general would not have gone there to help construct special schools under special circumstances,” he asserted.
“The leadership must start from this House. If you want to amend the law to allow you to spend part of the CDF on security issues, so be it,” stated Wetangula.
The remarks were made as Members of Parliament paid tribute to General Ogolla and nine other military officers who perished in a plane crash last Thursday.
Why Ichung’wah Wants Ruto’s Presidential Plane Upgraded