Court Rescues KQ Staff Who Recorded a Chinese Airlines Landing At JKIA

Gire Ali, the Kenya Airways Staff behind the viral video that showed a Chinese Southern Airlines at the Jomo Kenyatta International airport has been reinstated by the court.

In a directive given on Monday, March 2, 2020, The Constitutional and Human Rights Division of the High Court ordered that Gire Ali should neither be arrested nor prosecuted after he filmed and shared the viral video on social media.

Ali had moved to court to challenge his dismissal by the Kenya Airways after the filmed video circulated online and sparked a public uproar.

Ali filed an appeal to the court through his lawyer Dunstan Omari where he confirmed that he witnessed the arrival of the Chinese Southern Airlines which was unattended to for more than an hour.

Ali’s viral video revealed that 239 passengers were on board the Chinese Airline which had come from the Coronavirus epicenter China, and were all cleared to enter into the country after the shady screening.

Kenyans were not happy when they found out that the Government was clearing Chinese nationals into the country amid Coronavirus fears.

However, Mr. Ali’s actions were not taken lightly by his employee who suspended him immediately citing that he would know his fate once investigations are completed.

“Kenya Airways seems to be keen on punishing the applicant for exposing to the nation a threat to their life yet there was a directive from the same offices suspending aircraft from China from coming into Kenya,” Ali’s Lawyer lamented.

The court has now come to Mr. Ali’s rescue and has ordered his reinstatement as a KQ staff.

The Constitutional and Human Rights Division of the High Court ordered that Gire Ali should resume his position as a KQ staff as the hearing continues.

Justice Weldon Korir ordered that the directive should be applied by all the interested parties involved including Kenya Airways, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government, Ministry of Health, Director of Public Prosecutions, Director Criminal Investigation and the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit.

Gire Ali’s case will be mentioned on March 5, 2020.