“We gather here today to celebrate 56 years, since that glorious day when the flag of our republic was hoisted for the very first time,” President Uhuru Kenyatta started his Jamhuri Day speech at Nyayo Stadium on December 12, 2019.
However, earlier when all eyes were raised to the sky as the Kenya Air Force displayed their aerial display with military aircraft, some keen-eyed Kenyans notice a gaffe.
A closer look at one of the military choppers showed that it carried a banner written ” Hongera Kenya at 55″.
On December 12, 2018, Kenya Airforce also displayed a banner with the same writing, ” Hongera Kenya at 55″, which raised questions about what year the country was celebrating.
For the aerial display, Kenya’s airspace in and around Nairobi was closed for one hour, in an announcement made by Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
According to Strategic Intelligence, an international website dedicated to matters military, the aircraft in Kenya Air Force inventory is divided into four major categories; combat, reconnaissance, helicopters and trainer aircraft.
The site stated that the airforce has 17 combat aircraft specifically meant for war, 19 reconnaissance aircrafts intended for patrol and utility, 64 helicopters meant for transport, and utility as well as 27 trainer aircraft for training pilots.
In addition to having aircraft that is well armoured with both offensive and defensive equipment, the website stated that the planes are equipped with anti-tank missiles, air to air missiles and air to surface missiles that are used for offensive combat operations.
The aircraft is reported to be equipped with 40mm guns, and ZPU-4 (a Russian-made anti-aircraft 14.5 mm quadruple guns) as defensive equipment.
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