Drugs sackings at Kenya airline

Kenya has become a major transit point for drugs

By the BBC's Alice Muthengi Nairobi

Some of the 33 Kenya Airways workers sacked over drug trafficking allegations met officials of the transport workers union on Friday to discuss the possibility of suing the airline.

A statement released by the company said the sackings followed investigations by its staff.

When you call me a trafficker, that is a criminal offence

Jimmy Masege
Transport Workers' Union

But the sacked airline workers, including 29 cabin crew and three crew-scheduling staff, say they were victimised.

One woman who wished to remain anonymous told me she had never seen drugs in her life and had no idea why she had been sacked after working for the airline for 10 years.

Thursday's sackings come barely three weeks after a Kenya airways air hostess, Priscillah Jemtai Kologei, was arrested and charged with trafficking heroin worth $350,000.

Following Friday's meeting, Jimmy Masege from the Transport Workers' Union said they were considering all their options.

"When you call me a trafficker, that is a criminal offence," he said, adding that if the management had proof to back its allegations, it should hand it over to the authorities so the staff could be prosecuted.

"If they don't have proof, they should apologise to the workers and take them back to work,'' he said.

Transit point

The airline workers say their complaints in the past to management about known traffickers and drug barons, who intimidated cabin crew members into carrying drugs had fallen on deaf ears.

Police arrested a stewardess three weeks ago

But Kenya Airways says it is concerned about its employees being used to ferry drugs and will work closely with other stakeholders to eradicate the menace.

Recently, Kenya was identified as a major transit point for drugs from Asia to European countries.

Corruption at Kenya's air and seaports has also been blamed for the increased trafficking.

Airport police and immigration officers have often been accused of colluding with the drug dealers to ensure drugs pass through customs undetected.