The United States has said it has not signed any contract or agreement with Kenya on the purchase a Sh41.8 billion attack aircraft from an American firm.
Press Attache at the US Embassy in Nairobi Fiona Evans told the Star that the US Congress had only approved the potential sale of the AT-802L Longsword to move forward. She dismissed claims that the actual price of the aircraft had been doubled.
Evans said the published figure of Sh41.8 billion includes munitions, spare parts and training, not just the aircraft cost.
“The US is working with Kenya on the purchase of aircraft to reinforce the Kenya Defence Forces’ efforts in the fight against al Shabaab. One option recently approved by the US Congress for sale to Kenya is the AT-802L Longsword light attack aircraft manufactured by Air Tractor Inc in partnership with L3 Technologies,” she said.
Evans said Air Tractor is the firm that manufactured the plane while L3 Technologies modified it to meet military requirements.
“The aircraft package includes the air-frame itself, advanced avionics and weapon systems, as well as robust training and precision munitions,” she said.
Evans reiterated that the figures published in the US Congress Notification is not the final price to be offered to Kenya, but a maximum dollar amount to allow for purchasing additional planes in the future.
She said prior to the development of the AT-802L Longsword, Air Tractor Inc previously partnered with IOMAX to produce a similar aircraft for the United Arab Emirates.
“Now that the US Congress has approved the potential sale of AT-802L Longsword to move forward, specific details, including price of the aircraft, weapons, training and support, will soon be presented to the government of Kenya, which can in turn fully assess whether this is the right aircraft for the KDF given cost-benefit and delivery timelines. No contract or agreement to purchase has been signed,” she said.
She said the US-Kenya partnership is more than 50 years strong and the US stands with Kenya in the war on terrorism. The US provided more than Sh15 billion in equipment and assistance to the Kenyan security sector in the past year alone, Evans said.
The deal to buy Air Tractor plane faced uncertain future after five US legislators urged Congress to stop it sighting cost inflation.
Congressman Tedd Budd led some of his colleagues in blocking the sale of 12 attack aircraft and two trainer planes to the KDF, which intends to use them in the war on the Shabaab terrorists in Somalia.
Budd, in a letter to Kenyan Ambassador to the US Robinson Githae, said Congress had every reason to question the acquisition on the grounds that Sh41.8 billion cost should have been much less at Sh20 billion.