Harambee One has started clocking up local flight hours again, weeks after returning to Kenya from a nearly year-long maintenance programme in the Netherlands that gave the presidential aircraft a major systems and interior upgrade.
The Kenya Air Force Fokker 70, registration KAF308, has been seen operating domestic flights since its return, with records showing journeys involving Nairobi, Mombasa and Malindi between August 25 and September 1.
The aircraft has been operating under the callsign FLOK100 as it undergoes local operational and test flights.
Its return follows an extensive hangar programme carried out by Fokker Services Group in the Netherlands, where the aircraft underwent deep maintenance, interior refurbishment and work on several onboard systems.
One of the biggest changes made during the exercise was the addition of the latest Gogo Business Aviation FDX Satcom system, bringing a new level of in-flight communication capability to the more than three-decade-old aircraft.
Despite resuming operations, KAF308 has not yet been used by President William Ruto for an official local or international journey since it came back to Kenya.
The aircraft’s latest phase began in the Netherlands, where it was subjected to a series of checks before being cleared for its return.
Fokker Services Group released photographs of the jet during a Customer Acceptance Flight over the Oosterschelde on August 3, 2026, after the maintenance work had been completed.
The images showed the aircraft during its test flight as aviation teams assessed it before its journey back to Kenya.
The maintenance firm later confirmed that it had completed the work on the Kenya Air Force aircraft.
“Early this month we finished an extensive hangar visit of the Kenya Air Force KAF308 Head of State Fokker 70,” the company said in a statement.
“Another example of a strong airframe that has been maintained exceptionally well over the last 30 years.”
According to the company, the project covered more than basic aircraft servicing and included improvements to both the aircraft’s interior and its systems.
“Deep maintenance, interior and system upgrades, and even the newest Gogo Business Aviation FDX Satcom system installation,” it said.
Fokker Services Group also praised the Kenya Air Force for the condition in which the aircraft had been maintained over the years.
“Kudos to the KAF Team for taking such good care of this Fokker 70 aircraft, in fact one of the last ones built and delivered. Looking forward to supporting the KAF Team for many years to come.”
The final test flight also attracted the attention of aviation photographer Ben Ullings, who managed to photograph KAF308 during its approach and landing.
KAF 308 flying over Netherlands during a flight test on August 3, 2026.
PHOTO/ BEN ULLINGS
Ullings said he had the opportunity to accompany the Kenyan aircraft while it was completing its test flight over the Oosterschelde.
“Early this afternoon the same applied to a beautiful Fokker 70 of the Republic of Kenya, which I could join early afternoon over the Oosterschelde at the end of a test flight,” Ullings said in an August 3, post.
He said the Cessna 210 aircraft he was aboard was able to follow KAF308 during the final part of its flight after receiving assistance from air traffic controllers at Woensdrecht.
“And thanks to Woensdrecht ATC it was possible for the Cessna 210 to also accompany KAF308 during approach and touchdown,” he said.
Ullings said the photographs published from the flight represented only part of the material he had captured.
“A small selection is added here. There is a lot more on hold for near-future publications,” he said, while thanking the Fokker 70 crew and aviation teams involved in the operation.
The addition of the FDX Satcom system gives the aircraft a modern communication capability despite its age.
FDX is designed to provide aircraft with high-speed internet and real-time connectivity while they are airborne. The system uses Low Earth Orbit satellites to maintain communication and can handle the sending and receiving of large amounts of data at the same time.
The name FDX refers to Full Duplex, a system that allows two-way communication to take place simultaneously.
Among the functions it can support are voice and video calls, live data transmission, internet access and communication between aircraft and ground-based operational centres.
For government, military and VIP aircraft, the technology can provide a continuous communications link during flights.
It can also support command-and-control functions and allow senior government officials to stay connected while travelling through areas where conventional communication networks may be limited.
KAF308’s return to Kenya ends a long period away from the country for the aircraft, which has served as the presidential jet for more than 30 years.
The Fokker 70 has carried several Kenyan presidents since entering service in the 1990s and remains one of the most recognisable aircraft in the Kenya Air Force fleet.
During its absence, the government had to rely on other arrangements for some presidential travel.
The latest overhaul was therefore not limited to keeping the aircraft flying. It also included work aimed at updating its interior and onboard systems.
Since coming back, however, KAF308 has remained largely focused on local operations rather than international travel.
There has been no international flight by the aircraft since its return, and Ruto has not yet officially boarded the refurbished jet for either a domestic presidential engagement or an overseas trip.
The aircraft’s return also puts the spotlight back on the future of Kenya’s presidential air transport. While the maintenance and technology work have given KAF308 updated systems and improved connectivity, the Fokker 70 remains an aircraft that has been in government service for decades.