Civil unrest.. What civil unrest? CS Murkomen calls out Dutch Airline KLM over false alarm

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has taken issue with a false alarm raised by Dutch Airline KLM about "civil unrest" in Kenya and Tanzania between dates January 27 and January 30, 2023. 

In a statement released today, CS Murkomen said he had spoken to Dutch Airline’s Country Representative and registered the protest about the false claims.

"I have officially registered my protest with the airline against this unfounded, false, insensitive and misleading information that paints Kenya in bad light.

"Kenya and the Netherlands enjoy very good diplomatic relations and KLM as a company is highly regarded in the country. We are therefore shocked that the airline would spread such fabricated, malicious and false allegations without fact-checking and considering the probable effects to our country’s image and economy," said Murkomen. 

The false report, which has since been purged from KLM's social media sites, was under the 'Latest alerts and rebooking policies.' It said: "Due to civil unrest in Tanzania and Kenya from Friday 27 January up to and including Monday 30 January 2023, some of our flights to, from or via-Dar-es-Salaam (DAR), Kilimanjaro (JRO), Zanzibar (ZNZ), and Nairobi (NBO) may be disrupted. We are doing our very best to help you on your way again.

"If you have booked a flight to, from or via below- listed destinations on Friday 27 January up to and including Monday 30 January 2023, you can see below what rebook and refund options we can offer you. These options are only valid if you have a ticket originally issued on or before Friday 27, January 2023."

CS Murkomen says he will escalate the discussion through diplomatic channels to ensure the same does not recur.

"Kenya is and will continue to be a peaceful, hospitable and welcoming country and a regional hub for trade, investment and tourism," he added.