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Why 15 Nairobi MCAs were detained at JKIA in night drama


Fifteen Nairobi Ward Representatives were on Monday evening detained at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after a quarrel with the crew of a local airline.

The MCAs were departing to Mombasa to attend a workshop on the County Water Sanitation Bill at Pride Inn Hotel.

Drama started when the MCAs quarreled with the crew of Fly540 after their colleague, Ziwani MCA Millicent Mugadi was denied access to the plane for arriving late.

The MCAs claimed that the airline’s crew were ‘verbally abusive’ and ‘arrogant’ when responding to their attempts to intervene for Ms Mugadi.

TECHNICAL HITCH

According to a witness, the plane was scheduled to depart at 7pm but developed a technical hitch on one of its propellers that needed to be fixed.

This was after all passengers had been cleared to board, except the Ziwani MCA who kept updating her colleagues through phone calls that she was running late.

When the plane was finally ready for take off, Ms Mugadi is said to have arrived at the airport and insisted on boarding the plane.

Her colleagues on-board insisted on the cabin crew to let her in, but the plane’s pilot said such late boarding is against the company’s policy. The pilot’s stance made the MCAs furious.

Ms Mugadi claimed Fly540 staff harassed her and called her names when she tried to get their attention and offer her explanation for being late.

‘METAL PLATES’

“I have metal plates in my leg and therefore sometimes it is hard for me to prepare. I knew I might be late so informed my fellow leaders. So when I arrived late and went to the customer care desk to inquire about the flight, while waiting for a response, the other MCAs came to check on me since they knew I was unwell,” said Ms Mugadi.

She said that when her fellow MCAs came to inquire, an argument ensued. Their pleas for Ms Mugadi to be allowed to board fell on deaf ears.

The pilot, who  had briefly disembarked, boarded the plane and flew to Mombasa leaving the MCAs behind.

The MCAs were detained for a few hours at the airport but were later released. They took a rescheduled flight to Mombasa.