Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery today officially received a refurbished Russian made Mi 17 helicopter for the National Police Service (NPS).
The 36 capacity troop carrier installed with modern facilities was delivered at Wilson Airport in Nairobi was refurbished in Czech Republic, a country in Central Europe.
In uncharacteristically brief hand over session, Nkaissery and a security team inspected the police chopper before leaving.
Just like in the past, the Interior Ministry took the police choppers for rehabilitation instead of procuring a new one.
“This helicopter was bought in 1989. Later it was taken to Czech Republic for refurbishment.” A senior source intimated.
Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet, Deputy Inspector General, Kenya Police Service Joel Kitili, Deputy Inspector General, Administration Police Service Samuel Arachi and director in charge of Police Airwing Captain Rodgers Mbithi were also in attendance.
The helicopter has a capability of carrying a 40 police platoon sitting comfortably in three rows.
It has a night vision camera and an internal air conditioner.
However, the ministry remained tight-lipped on the cost incurred to revamp it.
The chopper is expected to aide in air surveillance in Baringo, Laikipia, Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet security operation to drive away bandits and to recover illicit arms in civilians’ possession.
Last year, NPS acquired an overhauled helicopter manufactured by an Italian firm Agusta Westland.
Police Airwing has overtime suffered serious setbacks since most of the helicopters are either broken down dysfunctional.
Since 2012, at least six cases of copter crashes have been witnessed in the country raising serious questions on the quality of training pilots receive and the conditions of the aircraft at the disposal of the Kenyan security officers.
In 2014, two pilots attached to Kenya Army were injured after the military chopper they were on board crash landed at Komu village in Matungulu in Machakos County.
A month before, one military officer was killed and fifteen others injured after a Kenya Air Force helicopter crashed in El Wak in Mandera enroute to Nairobi a few minutes after takeoff days after a private pilot crashed and died after taking off at Kijipwa in Kilifi County.
In 2012, Kenya Police helicopter crashed in Kimbiku forest killing former Internal Security minister George Saitoti, his deputy Orwa Ojode, their bodyguards and two pilots.
The Eurocopter AS350 had departed Wilson Airport in Nairobi for a flight to Ndhiwa for a church fundraising.
In December 2013, an Administration Police helicopter went down in Waa area, Kwale County while on a normal surveillance mission, when it developed mechanical problems.
And in August 2012, two German tourists and two Kenyan pilots were killed when a plane carrying safari tourists crashed in Kenya’s Maasai Mara game reserve.
