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Citizen Weekly

Sunday 26 April 2015

Ukambani governors slow Kalonzo chopper business

A plan by former vice president Kalonzo Musyoka to enter the helicopter hire business is hitting strong headwings after governors from the three counties of Ukambani exhibited lack of enthusiasm in signing contracts to use Kalonzo’s newly acquired second-hand bird for their inter and intra county shuttles.
According to sources privy to the now low-flying Kalonzo chopper hire venture, the former VP had expected to use his political leverage in Ukambani to coerce the governors to give him business. It is said that Kalonzo had counted on the governors particularly Machakos governor Alfred Mutua to become his frequent customers but with the governors now being herded to the anti-corruption offices for misuse of public funds, not a single governor has expressed interest.
As a result, Kalonzo has resorted to using the helicopter in his forays in Ukambani where residents however say that his contributions to harambees have drastically reduced ever since he started showing up in the helicopter. A helicopter trip to Machakos county which is nearest Wilson Airport costs Sh150,000 which Kambas agree is a pretty penny to a jobless politician and this could explain why the former VP’s presence in harambees is less and far in between.
The helicopter initially belonged to steel smelter tycoon Nahedra Raval of Devki Steel Mills in Athi River who is a long time friend of Kalonzo and who sold it at Sh70m that Kalonzo was to pay in instalments. With the creditors Kenya Commercial Bank not getting their loan money in time as agreed, it is said that the bank is now countemplating receiving the agreement. A helicopter part has a set use-time and must be replaced even when it is in perfect working condition which makes maintenance expensive.

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