Flying in a helicopter for the first time in 2002 was not only exciting, but a bit scary. To be honest, it was fun too and a life changing experience for me.
I had been used to seeing movie stars, like the famous James Bond aka 007, using the contraptions in award-winning thrillers with ease and a sense of entitlement. Other than them, as far as I was concerned, local chopper rides were a preserve of prominent people, tourists, Safari Rally officials, security and senior government officials and politicians. The exception was Kenya Airforce pilots and their counterparts in the commercial airlines and crew.
The founder of the nation, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta (1963-1978), was allergic to flying and toured the country on road throughout his three terms in office. But his successor, Daniel arap Moi (1978-2002), used the presidential jet and choppers regularly to crisscross the country to tour the districts (which have since been merged and renamed as counties), campaign for his Kanu political party and members at General Elections, and to attend the numerous harambees (funds-drives) in all corners of the country and/or attend church services.
Close Call by Air Force Jet
The closest I had ever been to an aircraft was in my adolescence when one of the Kenya Airforce jets crashed during a fly past parade on a national day in mid 1970s at Uhuru Park graced by Kenyatta. Thank God only the pilot was killed on impact.
The jet, a BAC Strikemaster, crashed barely 5Km away from the presidential dais causing shock and panic at the venue and across the country. It landed between South 'C' Estate and South 'B' Estate on an open field off the busy Mombasa Road. We lived nearby in Nairobi West 'Mbaos (timber)' where the current Moi Education Centre is located and sprinted all the way to "see with our own eyes" the cause and impact of the loud blast.
The pilot died on impact and left the residents in shock and traumatized. From then on the government banned Kenya Airforce pilots from flying low and towards the presidential dais during fly past on security grounds.
My other encounter with a chopper was in my childhood at Wilson Airport, off Langata Road, near our residential estate, where we used to troop to with my elder siblings and our friends to go and marvel at the smartly dressed pilots and crew, and the light aircrafts either landing or taking off. The climax of our weekly visit was a visit to all the giant size dustbins in the busiest airport in East and Central Africa in search of used envelopes which had local and foreign stamps.
Stamp collection club
By then, we were about 20 of us, and had formed a Stamp Collection Club, with my eldest brother, Martin as co-chairman, with Daniel Ogana as our leader. We would break into groups of four each: two to enter the bin, and two others to stand out on the lookout for threatening security guards. The others would be beside the bin ready to receive the treasured and discovered stamps from all over the country and the world.
The division of labour respected the youngest, like me, who would be carried shoulder high and helped to enter the bins by our older siblings. It was a boy's club so no girls were allowed in case we ran into trouble and had to flee and take cover from some of the menacing looking askaris (guards).
We would later regroup after the tedious, but fulfilling exercise, at the entrance to the airport where we would do a headcount to ensure everyone was accounted for. By then we would have extracted the stamps and the person with the rarest one given a thumbs up by the team.
We would then walk home between Nairobi West and South 'C' where our leaders would meticulously paste our gems on our treasured stamp albums. Fast forward to mid-2002 on eve of the General Election, which pitted Kanu's Uhuru Kenyatta backed by retiring President Moi against Mwai Kibaki of National Rainbow Coalition (NARC).
Transition elections in 2002
By then Kibaki was the outgoing Leader of the Opposition in Parliament; he was a former Vice-President under Moi for 10 years. On that memorable day, I reported to work at 8.30am. smartly dressed in a suit and matching tie, as per Nation Media Group’s company policy. The News Editor greeted me and told me to prepare with Govedi Asusa, one of our photographers, to go with one of our drivers to Wilson Airport’s Police Air wing and meet some prominent politicians who we would fly with to Baringo East constituency in the Rift Valley province to cover a fundraiser (harambee) for a primary school.
The venue was neighbouring President Moi's Baringo Central constituency, and the leaders we met at Wilson Airport included one of his ministers, William Ruto (Home Affairs) and four other Kanu MPs who included Joseph Lotodo (Baringo East) and Tonny Ndilinge (Kilome) and three unnamed colleagues.
When my news editor, gave us that assignment that morning, I did not think twice. The instructions were short and to the point: "Our driver will drop you and a photographer at Wilson Airport where you'll meet the politicians whom you will fly with to Baringo to cover a school harambee."
With those matching orders, we were off and within 30 minutes we had been cleared by the security at the Kenya Police Air wing ready to embark on the police chopper and for the two hour flight.
We met the six Members of Parliament at the lounge introduced ourselves, and boarded the chopper together. Unlike us, journalist, the politicians seemed to be at home in the chopper. No anxiety or excitement was visible.
Pilot’s safety tips
The pilot confirmed the flight manifest before giving us instructions and safety tips. He asked us to belt up and wear ear phones to reduce the noise from the engine and the propellers. We obliged, and for those on their maiden flight like me, it was a hair-raising experience as the pilot communicated with the air controllers to be given the green light before taking off.
For the next two hours, thanks to a clear sky, we enjoyed the bird's eye view of the Nairobi skyline, suburbs, Ngong Forest and the Great Rift Valley starting from the Escarpment as we overflew Lakes Naivasha, Elementaita, Nakuru and Baringo. Some of the towns along the way were Kikuyu, Mai Mahiu, Naivasha Gilgil, Nakuru and Baringo.
The roads, highways, motor vehicles and buildings looked like toys; miniature in size. The most spectacular scene was of the craters on Mt Longonot and Mt Menengai on the floor of the Great Rift Valley. It was a site to behold, God’s creation per excellence. The flight was relaxed and enjoyable: a preserve and experience reserved for the high and mighty. We arrived at the school and landed in style in the middle of the football field as hundreds of pupils in uniform; their parents and local leaders waved and welcomed us with joy.
Among the leaders was Jonathan Moi, the eldest son of Kenya's second President Daniel arap Moi, Kanu and civic leaders. Our delegation was ushered to one of the classrooms which had been converted into a restaurant where we were fed "almost like kings' and given refreshments.
From there we went to the playfield for the harambee which lasted for less than 30 minutes; the politicians used it to campaign for their KANU candidate, Uhuru Kenyatta, and local MP and civil leader in the forthcoming polls. A whooping Khs1 million was raised and given to one of the politician's bodyguards for safe-keeping and to bank as soon we landed in Nairobi city.
Overflew Wilson Airport
We the boarded the chopper for the return flight to Nairobi city; the excited leaders were overheard directing the pilot on our next destination. On reaching the outskirts of the city, Kilome MP, Tony (Anthony) Ndilinge convinced Ruto to divert the flight to his constituency for a scheduled school harambee. Before we knew what was going on, the pilot who was about to land at Wilson Airport took off after the Airline Controllers gave him the greenlight to proceed to Makueni District (County.)
For us journalists they took us for granted; it was not fun to do extra time, but we had no option. After the one hour flight we landed at the primary school in a very hilly part of Kilome where we found a bigger crowd of pupils, parents, guests and local leaders waiting for their MP and his VIPs.
We disembarked and were welcomed by school choirs and traditional dancers. But the program was fast-tracked because of the aviation rules that don't allow choppers to airborne between 6pm. and 6am. unless it is a security or medical emergency. We could notice that the choirs and entertainers were disappointment when the Master of Ceremony (MC) gave them the bad news.
Next the Kilome MP introduced his guests and kicked off the harambee where another Ksh. 1 million was raised and later handed over to the MP's bodyguards for safety and banking in Nairobi.
We then boarded the chopper for a return trip to the city where we landed over 30 minutes past deadline. My photographer and I heaved a sigh of relief on getting back to the newsroom where I filed my story while my photographer handed over his film to the dark room personnel to develop the photographs.
We used the office pool car to be dropped in our respective houses in the city at 10pm. Ready to go to slumber land after the hectic day crisscrossing the country in a chopper without any prior plans. We called it a night knowing that that goes with the profession: we are trained to be like scouts, always prepared to travel anywhere in or out of the country anytime when duty calls.
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