Paul Muite demands more than Sh3 million from Kenya Airways after flight cancellation

Veteran lawyer and Senior Counsel Paul Muite has demanded more than Sh3 million from Kenya Airways after a cancelled flight left him and his family stranded at Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport.

Muite was travelling with his wife, Dr Edith Muite, their two daughters and two grandchildren when Kenya Airways Flight KQ491, which was scheduled to fly from Zanzibar to Nairobi on August 31, was cancelled.

According to a demand letter sent to the airline through Maina Ngaruiya & Company Advocates, the family had paid Sh596,450 for return tickets and was expected to leave Zanzibar at around 10:10am.

The family says it had completed all the necessary travel procedures after being assured that the flight was operating. They checked in, received boarding passes, handed over their luggage and cleared immigration before proceeding to the departure area.

However, the flight status later changed to delayed, leaving passengers waiting for several hours without a clear explanation from the airline.

Muite’s lawyers claim that the family was not given adequate information about what had caused the delay or when they could expect to travel. They also questioned why passengers had been allowed to complete check-in and immigration procedures despite concerns surrounding the aircraft operating the flight.

The lawyers said passengers were eventually informed at around 3:45pm that the flight had been cancelled. According to the family, the announcement was made by a Zanzibar Airport employee rather than a Kenya Airways representative.

The passengers were reportedly told to go through immigration again, collect their luggage and wait for further communication from the airline.

Muite has complained that the airline did not provide sufficient assistance during the long wait. He said the affected passengers were left without basic refreshments, including drinking water, despite the presence of children, one of whom was three years old.

The cancellation also disrupted Muite’s plans in Nairobi, where he had scheduled meetings that he was unable to attend.

With no satisfactory alternative travel arrangement provided, the family says it was forced to hire a private aircraft to return to Nairobi.

Muite is seeking reimbursement of about $20,500, which he says was spent on the private charter. He is also demanding Sh52,650 incurred in expenses related to the charter.

In addition, the family wants Sh298,225 refunded, representing half of the amount paid for the Kenya Airways tickets that were not used on August 31.

The demand also includes general damages for what Muite describes as inconvenience, frustration, distress and disruption caused by the cancellation and the manner in which the situation was handled.

His lawyers have accused Kenya Airways of failing to provide timely information, proper assistance and reasonable alternative travel arrangements after the flight was cancelled.

Muite is now demanding that the airline resolve the matter within seven days of receiving the demand letter.

The lawyers have warned that if Kenya Airways fails to settle the claim within the specified period, they have instructions to begin legal proceedings to recover the money and damages being sought.

The demand follows an aviation workers’ strike that disrupted flights and affected thousands of travellers in Kenya and across the region.

Kenya Airways had not, at the time of the report, publicly responded to the specific allegations made by Muite and his family.