A reliable source has informed nyakundireport.com that come January 2019, the aviation industry in Kenya is headed for a shut down as the staff of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, the aviation regulator and service provider, are destined to down tools due to low salaries and poor working conditions.
Engineers, air traffic controllers, aeronautical information officers, communications officers as well as support staff will join in the looming strike.
The feeling of the staff is that the authority belongs to a few individuals who live large using the authority's funds at the expense of the real worker.
"Over 90 percent of the authority's annual revenue (about Ksh 6 billion) is generated by the Air Navigation Services Department in the form of ANS charges. The bulk of this money is spent by the regulator in the form of huge salaries to inspectors, perdiems that run into millions every month by a section of KCAA management and contracts at inflated prices with huge kickbacks for a section of management." reads part of the e-mail sent anonymously to this site's chief editor.
"It is sad to note that KCAA employs and trains inspectors from the industry (diploma and CPL holders) and pays them an almost triple salary as compared to staff in the ANS department who generate the money they are paid. Why employ someone from the industry at a lower job group and pay him/her almost thrice the salary of those in the department that generates the funds?" asks one of the staffers.
"The last time staff salaries were reviewed was in 2011. The authority's revenue has since tripled, the workload has also tripled especially for ANS, the volume of air traffic in Kenya has tripled as well, the cost of living has more than tripled." he laments.
"The KCAA Director General, who has direct access to the President, has allowed two Ruto men; Director of Corporate Services a Mr. Kiptoo and Director of Safety, a guy who was sacked from KQ due to underperformance, a Mr. Ogeche, to undermine him at the expense of staff welfare. Kiptoo has filled the Authority with members of his Kalenjin community, most of them not employed on merit and are very mediocre in performance.
Staff are demoralized, they work under very poor working conditions as the top cream of the authority enjoys the money generated. The management has also ensured there is no union to fight for the welfare of the staff. Few people at KCAA are enriching themselves at the expense of the majority of the staff.
The flying public is adviced that if nothing is done to improve the welfare and remuneration of the staff, the Kenyan aviation industry will be shut down come January 2019." reads the last part of the e-mail.
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