With the new Kenyan visa system expecting more tourism and business, experiences as described below will cause visitors to think twice before coming to Kenya.
My two teenage children travelled on their own with Kenya Airways last week from Mombasa to Nairobi. They were checked in and waiting at the departure gate. The call to board the flight was made.
When they tried to board the flight, they were told they had been off-loaded as the next flight had been cancelled and passengers with a connecting flight at Nairobi were being given priority.
My children were told they had been moved onto a flight the next day. No one else was removed from that flight. No accommodation or compensation was offered, even though it was 8pm. My two teenagers were now stranded at Mombasa airport.
The children actually did have a connecting flight in Nairobi that night, but due to incompetence within Kenya Airways, no one had asked them. They were travelling on the British Airways flight back to London that evening.
After I spoke to the gate staff via my son’s phone, Kenya Airways moved my children onto the last flight which arrived in Nairobi 20 minutes before the BA flight departed.
Due to us contacting British Airways, my children did make the flight back to UK which was important as my son had a medical operation scheduled for that day. They were rushed through the airport and just made the flight.
The stress they endured was evident even once they had returned to the UK. Unfortunately, we are still waiting a week after the flight, for my children’s baggage to arrive which Kenya Airways say they have, but they cannot actually find.
Evidently, having boarding denied due to priority given to ‘connecting passengers’ is becoming a regular event with Kenya Airways flights from Mombasa to Nairobi. It happens regularly and it always seems to involve younger people who are seen as easy pickings.
Stranding anyone in an unfamiliar town is a stressful experience but stranding teenagers shows a complete lack in duty of care. We had a contract with Kenya Airways to provide a flight from Mombasa to Nairobi which they failed to keep. The flight wasn’t oversold. My children were removed from the flight purely because of Kenya Airways’ incompetence.
We have written to Allan Kilavuka, George Kamal and Julius Thairu at Kenya Airways. No response has been received demonstrating a palpable arrogance regarding the situation.
When will Kenya Airways realise that their behaviour has a direct effect on business, tourism and Kenya’s potential to be a leading global player in the new world order?
