KAA files footage of Matiang’i, security guard drama at JKIA
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has submitted in court CCTV footage capturing incidents that led to the dismissal of a security guard accused of mistreating Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport last year.
KAA submitted the footage at the Nyeri Labour Court after Ms Daisy Cherogony’s lawyer Alex Bismana demanded the evidence.
Ms Cherogony, 38, sued KAA after being sacked over misconduct after she made Dr Matiang’i queue for a security check.
WANTED SPECIAL TREATMENT
In court documents, she indicated that on April 6 last year Dr Matiang’i did not want to queue and wanted special treatment.
Ms Cherogony said according to the security manual, Cabinet secretaries usually queue like ordinary passengers unless they have special passes, which requires them to make special arrangements in advance.
“Dr Matiang’i and the people who had accompanied him never had any special passes. So I could not allow him into the airport without clearing him at the screening check point,” she said.
But KAA, through lawyer Lorraine Oyombe, said their investigations found that Ms Cherogony was in breach of the agency’s Human Resource Manual and a disciplinary action was recommended against her.
Ms Oyombe said Ms Cherogony ignored the minister when he arrived at the terminal building.
‘ALMOST MISSED FLIGHT’
The Cabinet Secretary was delayed for 24 minutes and almost missed his flight to Kisumu, Ms Oyombe added.
She admitted that Ms Cherogony was suspended for denying Dr Matiang’i priority and embarrassing him by forcing him to queue.
“The claimant (Ms Cherogony) was issued with a show cause letter. She was informed that it had been reported that she had uttered the words ‘I do not care who you are and you have to queue like all other passengers’, even after the Cabinet Secretary had introduced himself,” the lawyer said.
But Ms Cherogony, according to KAA, responded that she did not singlehandedly mistreat Dr Matiang’i and that she never saw him.
‘IGNORED CS’
“The footage showed the claimant ignoring the CS who was right in front of her and instead beckoning passengers who were behind him. She said she was concentrating on other passengers and thus she did not look up,” Ms Oyombe said.
Ms Cherogony is seeking Sh41 million for wrongful dismissal as she was not given a chance to defend herself.
And that she was never shown any complaint letter from Dr Matiang’i. The case will continue on May 8.