How I lost my toiletries aboard British Airways plane - Karua

Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua has narrated how she lost her bag aboard a British Airways plane.

Karua had travelled to Nairobi on October 26, 2019, when the incident took place.

"My journey started at Edinburgh Airport where I checked in one bag through to Nairobi and remained with a carry bag," she said.

In a complaint lodged to the British Airways Customer service email on Monday, Karua said the Heathrow boarding gate one of their officers took her to carry on bag.

"She claimed that it was too large for the cabin. I did not resist. She issued me with a baggage tag promising to ensure that it was taken on board," Karua said.

"I had previously travelled with the said bag as hand luggage from Nairobi to Edinburgh in 2017 without any problems."

Upon arrival, Karua said she waited in vain for her bag which had her toiletries and documents for a meeting in Addis Ababa the next day.

"I travelled to the meeting without my vital documents and necessities contained in my missing bag," she said.

"The taking of my bag at the boarding gate by your staff was not only unjustified but also discriminatory and high handed."

Claiming that there were other passengers with bags of similar size, Karua claimed damage for the 'unreasonable" behaviour of their staff which 'greatly inconvenienced her'.

"In any event, my said bag had fitted in the overhead cabin without any problem in the immediate previous flights outlined above. Additionally, the Nairobi bound flight was half empty," she said.

She added, "There was plenty of space for my bag as well as others.. my bag was not overweight."

The airline is yet to respond on the claims.

According to the airline, all customers are permitted to carry one piece of hand luggage and one small item (handbag, laptop) on board.

Hand luggage must not exceed 56cm x 45cm x 25cm and the small item must be no bigger than 40cm x 30cm x 15cm.

Both items can weight up to 23kg each.