DNK International By Our Reporter,Nairobi.
An armed passenger was on Wednesday night detained at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) following a confrontation with cabin crew aboard a Safarilink flight from Kisumu, raising fresh concerns over in-flight discipline and aviation safety.
According to police reports, Safarilink Flight landed at JKIA at around 9.00pm when airport security officers moved in to escort Mbarak Omar Ali, a Kenyan national, to the airport police station.
The passenger is said to have engaged in a confrontation with the flight purser after allegedly refusing to switch off his mobile phone while the aircraft was airborne, an action that aviation authorities classify as a breach of onboard safety regulations.
Upon interrogation at JKIA Police Station, officers established that Ali is a licensed firearm holder.
He was found to be in possession of a Glock 32 pistol, one magazine, a holster and 13 rounds of ammunition.
Police said the firearm and ammunition were immediately confiscated and secured at the station armoury for safe custody in line with standard operating procedures.
The suspect has since been placed in police custody and is expected to be charged with the offence of jeopardizing good order and discipline aboard an aircraft, an offence handled under aviation and security laws.
The matter is currently being processed by officers from the Kenya Airport Police Unit, with multi-agency coordination ongoing due to the security-sensitive nature of the incident.
Investigations are continuing.
[DNK-International@February 5,2026]
