A labour court has refused to reinstate a Kenya Airways employee dismissed for allegedly selling discounted staff tickets intended for personal use.
The court ruled that any potential harm could be addressed through compensation if the main case succeeds, and that interim orders were unnecessary since the position had already been filled.
Court documents show the staff member had served the airline for 23 years, working as a Turnaround Coordinator in passenger ramp services, earning Sh89,000 in salary and a Sh41,000 house allowance before being terminated in June 2024.
The dispute centers on Kenya Airways’ Buddy Pass Programme, which allows staff to nominate up to five people to travel at heavily discounted rates or free standby tickets. These passes are subject to strict conditions and cannot be sold or transferred.
The airline alleged that the employee surrendered all five of his Buddy Pass slots in 2023 and 2024 to a colleague, who then sold them to unauthorised individuals. Kenya Airways further claimed he received Sh10,000 for the passes, classifying the actions as gross misconduct.
The employee denied any wrongdoing and filed a court case challenging his dismissal, requesting temporary orders to stop KQ from filling his former position and to reinstate him. The court, however, noted that the role had been filled and stated, “Court orders cannot be issued in vain,” cautioning against interference in managerial decisions at an interim stage.
The application for temporary reinstatement was dismissed, leaving the substantive question of the dismissal’s fairness to be determined in the main trial.
