Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Tuesday signed the papers to deport six foreign pilots.
The pilots were arrested on Monday at JKIA for being in business without work permits. Those arrested include an Algerian, a Sudanese, a Honduran, a DRC national and two Canadians.
A multi-agency team said they were looking for more pilots who are in the country illegally. “Ask the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority to tell you how many pilots have been licensed to operate in the country and how many have work permits,” said an official in the team.
An official aware of the situation said some of the pilots are doing jobs that can be handled by Kenyans. “They operate with impunity. No country can allow such kind of activities witnessed in the sector,” said an official aware of the operation.
The team said it was looking for four other Congolese pilots operating from JKIA to Somalia after they learnt they do not have work permits. Some of those targeted had come to the country as tourists but ventured into the business.