Sanitary Pad Row Deepens As NCAA Summons Kenya Airways

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has summoned the acting station manager of Kenya Airways following an alleged incident of mistreatment involving a Nigerian passenger.

The incident, which was captured in a viral video, took place at the Nairobi airport, where the passenger, identified as Omisore, had a verbal altercation with Kenya Airways staff at the transfer desk.

In the video, Omisore was seen expressing her frustration over the mistreatment she and other Nigerian passengers had reportedly faced from the airline. The incident occurred while Omisore was preparing for a connecting flight from Nairobi. Tunde Moshood, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Aviation, shared the video and highlighted several cases of inhumane treatment of Nigerian passengers by Kenya Airways.

He said, “Our attention has been drawn to several cases of inhuman treatments of Nigerian passengers in Nairobi by @KenyaAirways.”

Kenya Airways responded, explaining that Omisore had been denied boarding because she did not have a required Schengen visa for France, a condition to enter any European Union country. The airline further stated that they had offered an alternative route, which Omisore declined, resulting in the altercation. The airline said, “We strongly condemn such conduct. While we remain committed to delivering exceptional service, we expect all interactions to be based on mutual respect. Our employees deserve to work in a safe and dignified environment, and we do not tolerate any abuse from our employees or guests.” They also claimed that Omisore later engaged in inappropriate behavior by throwing used sanitary pads at the staff, although this part of the incident was not captured in the video. “The video did not show the full context of the incident,” the airline added.

The airline also explained that they do not provide accommodation for passengers in cases of visa-related issues. “Ms. Omisore requested accommodation after being denied boarding, but we do not provide accommodation in cases of visa-related issues,” they clarified. The incident has been reported and is under investigation by relevant security agencies. Kenya Airways stated, “We are committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure the well-being and safety of our employees and guests at all times.”

Meanwhile, the NCAA criticized Kenya Airways for allegedly having a history of mistreating Nigerian passengers. The NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, stated that the acting station manager had been summoned to address the concerns raised. He also pointed out, “I have advised the passenger that unruly behaviour is inexcusable at any airport and she can be blacklisted by the airline, and even pay fines. The NCAA does not condone unruly behaviour.”

Achimugu further said, “There is no basis to have tried to forcefully delete her video. You should not have allowed her to board your flight from Nigeria IF she was not qualified due to visa requirements. You issued her boarding passes and let her leave Lagos. She flew into Nigeria via your airline on the same route.”

He added that Kenya Airways would be asked to provide CCTV footage showing that Omisore threw her used sanitary pads at the staff instead of placing them on the table when requested by airline personnel. “You will be asked to provide CCTV footage showing that she threw her used sanitary towels AT your staff rather than place them on the table when asked by your personnel to provide evidence that she was bleeding.”

The meeting with Kenya Airways was initially scheduled for 1 pm, but Achimugu revealed that the airline requested a 24-hour extension to provide further details.

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