Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter, has sought clarification of the ownership of 28 airliners operated by Kenya Airways.
Of these, only three are owned by Kenya Airways, raising questions about who owns the others, said to be leased from private entities.
CBA and NIC, which are at an advanced merger stage, are said to have lent the troubled national carrier Sh5 billion which they are yet to recover.
The merger will bring together the business interests of two of Kenya’s wealthiest families — the Kenyattas and the Ndegwas — who have controlling stakes in CBA and NIC respectively.
Appearing before the committee yesterday, KAA chief executive officer John Andersen confirmed the debts.
The airline owes CBA Group Sh3.1 billion, NIC Sh2.1 billion, Equity Bank Sh5.2 billion, National Bank Sh3.5 billion, Co-operative Bank (Sh3.3 billion, DTB Sh2.1 billion and KCB Group Sh2.1 billion.
Andersen was pressed hard by MPs to disclose the powerful forces behind the airport deal but declined, saying he did not have details.
“I cannot speculate on the reason behind the deal or the faces behind it. We were approached by Kenya Airways on this matter and also got a Cabinet memo seeking that we manage the process,” he said.
Parliament is investigating the link between a bank associated with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s family and the takeover of JKIA management by loss-making Kenya Airways.
Members of the Public Investment Committee, citing conflict of interest, have summoned the Kenya Airports Authority board on Thursday to respond to their growing concerns.
Lawmakers are also demanding to know the identities of the other KQ shareholders, besides the State, amid jitters that the proposed takeover of JKIA will not be viable.
KAA board chairman Isaac Awuondo is also the Group Chief Executive officer of the Kenyatta-owned Commercial Bank of Africa.
Lawmakers have maintained there is more than meets the eye as the KAA chairperson is the same person whose bank seeks to recover money from KQ.
The takeover bid has sparked an outrage, with criticism of unidentified ‘powerful forces’ out to surrender the national airport to a private firm.
MPs said the deal, in which KQ tentatively would run JKIA for 30 years, is suspect and a case of connivance among influential forces to rip off taxpayers.
The legislators, citing a conspiracy, criticised the plan, saying the country is at risk of losing billions of shillings in revenue should KAA be allowed to proceed.
Lawmakers are also concerned that Kenya Airways owes KAA Sh3.8 billion and is losing its hold of the East African market share.
Further, an audit by KPMG is said to have revealed gaps that it wants KAA to address before further engagement with Kenya Airways on the deal.
MPs also asked the agency to be straightforward on how it settled on MMC Africa Law as the transaction adviser in the takeover bid. The firm was hired under a restricted tender.