He says the theft of the tyres is a microcosm of the entrenched series of problems.
Mr Mikosz says some workers used every means, mainly litigation to block him from making any meaningful changes.
He faced huge opposition terminating contracts with suppliers and brokers even though the deals had exit clauses.
Nairobi. Kenya Airways Chief Executive Sebastian Mikosz watched CCTV cameras and witnessed how his workers tried to twist them out of view so they could load tyres into trucks and sneak them out.
The tyres were later traced to a shop where they were being sold openly.
Mr Mikosz could not believe his eyes.
“We found the tyres in a shop. And there was a guy who was not even hiding (the theft). He said ‘these are tyres from KQ’,” Mikosz says gesticulating and though smiling, he gave the impression of a man frustrated at every turn in his two-year stint at the Kenya Airways where he had been tasked with the onerous responsibility of reviving the airline that had sunk into a deep financial hole.
PROBLEMS AT KQ
He says the theft of the tyres is a microcosm of the entrenched series of problems afflicting the once Pride of Africa.
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“These are just tyres but we have the same problem with fuel, with parts,” he reveals.The loss-making airline spends Sh5 billion ($50 million) a day and has a long history of staff, suppliers and banks scheming how to pilfer resources from its coffers.Mr Mikosz says some workers used every means, mainly litigation to block him from making any meaningful changes in a bid to bring to fruition his overall vision.This, he adds, coupled with internal wrangles contributed immensely to his failed bid to turn around the airline that has been riding through a stormy financial patch for years now.INTERNAL SETBACKS“The biggest enemy when you are restructuring are not outside (forces). I’m actually not afraid of Emirates, I’m afraid of this (internal setbacks),” he says noting that even if you have board support, you cannot effect meaningful changes in the face of deliberate schemes by workers to scuttle reforms.Mr Mikosz’s tenure is indeed a litany of legal duel after another.According to documents seen by Smart Company, after the tyre incident, Kenya Airways sought to reorganise supply chain functions that would have edged out some of the suspects in the syndicates.However, on December 4, Rose Kosgey and Rosemary Mburu, who […]
