Friday March 10, 2017
An Air Tractor AT- 802L aircraft. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Three Republican members of the US House of Representatives are pushing back against suggestions by a few of their colleagues that Kenya’s pending Sh43 billion weapons deal should be reconsidered.
The trio say they “have seen no evidence to support allegations” that the proposed purchase may have been handled improperly or unfairly by the US Air Force and potential suppliers of the aircraft and related items Kenya is seeking.
Anti-corruption campaigner John Githongo charged at a Washington press briefing on Wednesday that Kenya’s move to make the purchase “fails the smell test.”
EVIDENCE
A US company that was not invited to bid on the deal has said it can supply Kenya with a superior version of the equipment it seeks at a price about Sh20 billion lower than the proposed Sh43 billion purchase.
Mr Githongo suggested that corruption on the part of Kenyan officials could account for the government's apparent willingness to pay what he described as an unnecessarily large sum for the planes. Mr Githongo acknowledged, however, that he has no evidence to support that suspicion.
Mr Githongo was joined at Wednesday's press session by Republican Congressman Ted Budd, an organiser of opposition to the deal. Mr Budd represents a district in the state of North Carolina that is home to weapons maker IOMAX, the company that claims it can provide Kenya with combat-proven versions of the aircraft for less than Sh29 million.
SALE
The three congressmen — Bill Flores, Jodey Arrington and John Ratcliffe — who on Tuesday expressed support for the Sh43 billion deal did so in a joint letter to Vice Admiral Joseph Rixey, director of the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency.
That unit of the Pentagon had notified Congress in January of the possible sale.
The US State Department has approved the pending agreement, as has the US Congress.
The three congressmen noted that the US House committee that reviewed the deal did not take action on a resolution of disapproval that Mr Budd had introduced.
AL-SHABAAB
Under the terms of the envisioned agreement, Kenya would contract with two US companies — L3 Technologies and Air Tractor — for purchase of a dozen AT-802L Longsword aircraft and related components and services.
Kenya plans to use the missile-firing and intelligence-gathering planes in its campaign in Somalia against Al-Shabaab.
Congressmen Flores, Arrington and Ratcliffe all represent districts in Texas, the state where L3 operates a plant that manufactures these types of planes in partnership with Air Tractor.
Mr Flores’ district includes the city of Waco, the specific site of the L3 division that builds the planes and employs some 1400 workers.
ADVANCE SECURITY
A finalised agreement with Kenya "will help to sustain existing jobs," L3 spokeswoman Jennifer Barton said in an e-mail on Thursday.
Ms Barton noted that L3's "Waco facility is where we have successfully manufactured and delivered multiple AT-802L Longsword aircraft."
In their letter to Vice Adm Rixey, the three Texas congressmen urged his agency "to continue to follow appropriate processes and procedures with respect to this pending [arms sale to Kenya]."
"It is our hope," the three lawmakers added, "that this acquisition will further enable Kenya's efforts to advance security and prosperity in eastern Africa and the greater Middle East."