Kenya Airways’ decision to sack a pilot who refused to fly a faulty plane has come back to haunt the national carrier, which now risks paying John Miriti Mbarire Sh181 million.
Mr Mbarire had his contract terminated for causing a 34-minute delay in a flight from Nairobi to Kisumu in 2017, and for allegedly using wrong channels to request a sick day.
The pilot was at the time five years from retirement so he wants KQ ordered to pay his salary and allowances for the period, totalling Sh170.3 million, and damages of Sh11.3 million for unlawful dismissal.
Had he completed the last 69 months of his flying career at KQ, Mr Mbarire would have earned Sh65.2 million in salaries, Sh95.9 million in flying allowances, Sh6.2 million in insurance cover for himself and his family and Sh3 million in travel allowances.
KQ insists it rightfully dismissed the pilot. In its defence, the national carrier insists that Mr Mbarire had a history of run-ins with authorities and that his responses were considered insufficient by a panel that presided over his disciplinary hearings.
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