A video that appeared online on Saturday October 4 showing airport staff at Moi International Airport Mombasa tussling with a taxi driver has drawn widespread criticism for both parties involved.
The approximately two minute and a half clip shows about three well built KAA staff trying to ‘arrest’ a taxi driver and throw him into their double cabin truck. A few minutes away is a clamped car that’s supposedly operated via ride hailing apps.
However, despite the muscled airport staff exerting their strength on the smaller man, they fail in their bid. They then try to snatch the taxi driver’s phone but fail again.
The bone of contention is that the taxi man had parked his car in an undesignated area used for car washing. It is not clear whether the staff ascertained tha the car was not there to be cleaned as well.
The tussling men throw words at each other, woth the taxi driver threatening to go away with the clamp if it wasn’t removed from his car. I response, one of the KAA staffs takes out another clamp from the truck and pins it on the rear tyre, chiding the taxi driver to drive away if he was man enough.
On lookers are heard asking the staffs whether they wanted to ‘kill the driver’.
Online users have condemned the incident saying that it could have been handled better. A few blamed the driver for not following the laid down procedures. Others blamed the airport staff for overreaching their mandate and misusing their ‘people given power’.
KAA has not yet issued a statement on the incidence. Moi International Airport nased in the coastal city of Mombasa is the second largest airport in Kenya serving daily flights to various destinations and cities across the world.
