STRANDED

"This place is freezing cold and there is nothing as terrible as being idle." These were MP Millie Odhiambo’s words on the telephone from Denmark, on Sunday.

Air traffic in Europe continued to be literally grounded after an Icelandic volcano spewing clouds of ash into the skies showed no signs of letting up.

Water Minister Charity Ngilu and three MPs are some of the Kenyans stranded in Europe due to the suspension of flights.

MPs Mohamed Abdi Affey, Odhiambo and Raphael Letimalo who travelled to Denmark on official parliamentary business, were due to come back last Thursday.

They are, however, stranded like millions of others affected by the cancellation of flights.

The effects of the reduced visibility over European skies continued to be felt all over the world disrupting travel plans of millions and stalling shipments of fresh produce.

Also, the flower industry in Kenya continued to heave under the biggest shutdown of European airspace since World War II with thousands of tonnes of fresh flowers withering at airports.

Early last week, few had heard of a place called Eyjafjallajokull. Now a volcanic explosion under this glacier, normally a popular hiking ground about 120 km southeast of Iceland’s capital Reykjavik has left Europe, the most affected part of the world, at a standstill.

The front-page headline of Saturday’s issue of French newspaper Le Parisien read "La Grande Pagaille" (the big mess, or shambles).

Every airport in England, Scotland, the Netherlands, Belgium, northern France, Poland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and much of Norway, Italy, Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia were closed stranding millions of travellers.

Using trains

Many Kenyans who planned to return home from Europe have been stuck in countries they had visited. Some made unsuccessful attempts to travel by train up to France from where they can easily cross to North Africa by ferry. Airlines are operating between North Africa and Kenya.

In Kenya, flights to Europe continued fearing to take to the skies and many passengers were stranded at JKIA.

By last night the legislators were contemplating the option of using the train from Copenhagen to France, then to Spain or Portugal. From there, hike a ferry to North Africa before flying back home.

They have, however, been unsuccessful so far as the bullet trains were fully booked till later this week.

And Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara who travelled from Malaysia at the weekend had to change flights to avoid being caught up in the air traffic shut down.

Besides the bitter cold, the MPs are fighting bouts of anxiety.

"I have just cancelled a meeting to Bujumbura which was to be held on Wednesday," said Millie Odhiambo on telephone on Sunday.

The nearest Kenyan Embassy is in Stockholm, hundreds of miles away and costing about Sh200,000 by road, according to Affey and Millie who said on Sunday that the team has been in touch with the Kenyan mission.

On Saturday, Ngilu called newsrooms to say she was stranded in London following eruption of the volcano that has led to the cancellation of flights early last week.

Speaking to The Standard from Copenhagen Affey said, "We are stranded here and there is no indication we will come home soon."

He said there is little or conflicting information about the resumption of flights from authorities.

"We are stranded here and we do not know when we shall get the next flight home. We have been shuttling between the airport and our hotel for the last four days," Affey said.

He said the team has not run low on money but said they were anxious to go home.

"We are not starving but there is no information, no idea, no indication on when we will leave," he added.

Millie said Kenyans living in Denmark have been supportive. "We have met Kenyans who are very supportive and they check on us regularly," she said and commended a Kenyan family in the Danish capital for inviting the Kenyan entourage to their house.

Sharing facilities

Although the team is comfortable in a hotel, Millie said stranded travellers are beginning to feel the strain of sharing facilities like the Internet.

Letimalo said he has spoken with his family in Kenya but lamented that the shutdown and his extended stay in Europe will affect his ability to discharge duties in his constituency.

"Our families understand why we are here. It is not anyone’s mistake. We hope to be home soon. We finished our meeting last week and by this time most MPs are expected to go their constituencies because Parliament is on recess."

The team held meetings with officials and MPs of Denmark’s Parliament last week.

The suspension of flights to and from Europe has inflicted monumental losses to airlines; especially smaller ones like Kenya Airways and decimated recent gains in the horticulture, floriculture export and tourism industries. The suspension has been described as the biggest shutdown of European airspace since the Second World War.

European airlines have carried out test flights to see if it is safe to fly through the volcanic ash.

Dutch, German and French carriers sent planes up without suffering obvious damage, prompting some to question whether the risk has been overstated.

Dutch carrier KLM said it had flown a Boeing 737-800 up to the usual maximum altitude of 13km (8 miles) on Saturday.

KLM chief executive Peter Hartman, who was on board, said there was "nothing unusual" about the flight.

"If the technical examination confirms this... we then hope to get permission as soon as possible to partially restart our operations," he added.