KIMUNYA STRANDED

Trade minister Amos Kimunya was left stranded at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on the recent official trip by the Prime Minister to Egypt, France, the United Kingdom and Norway because of overbooking.

And, in an interesting twist, Mr Kimunya, who is also the acting Transport minister, told the Sunday Nation that he was left behind to “ensure that everybody else, including the PM’s daughter, travelled”.

“Yes, I was scheduled to travel with the PM, but then I opted out because there was an overbooking. There were MPs and others in the delegation who needed to travel with the PM for the whole trip. I was only to go to Egypt and come back, and since there was nothing to do with trade or transport on the trip agenda and I was only accompanying the PM, I opted out,” the minister said.

But an official at the PM’s office who requested anonymity said that Mr Kimunya declined to travel since the only available seat was in the economy class and not the business class in which ministers usually fly.

It was not immediately clear whether the Prime Minister’s daughter paid her way or was part of the government delegation.

“The rest of us, including Kamukunji MP Simon Mbugua, travelled in economy class,” said the official, who requested anonymity since he was discussing his seniors.

Business class is a more expensive travel class available on most commercial airlines and some railways. Its level of accommodation is higher than economy class and domestic first class but lower than international first class.

However, many international airlines offer only business class as the highest level of service.

At the airport, business class flyers typically have a separate check-in area or at least their own row, and can use a business class lounge that offers drinks, nibbles, newspapers and maybe Internet access. Some of the best lounges offer showers and even nap rooms.

Apart from bigger seats that fully recline to ease the many hours of travel, business class has a wider menu, more extensive free drinks and a wider range of entertainment.