Leonard Mambo Mbotela Reveals Last Moments Before Detention of Kenya Airways Staffer In DRC

Renowned veteran journalist Leonard Mambo Mbotela has revealed the circumstances that led to the detention of his niece, Lydia Olando Maloba, one of the two Kenya Airways (KQ) staff detained in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Speaking to the press alongside Maloba's family on Sunday, May 5, Mbotela revealed that Maloba encountered a large volume of cargo headed for an unspecified location.

The cargo drew her curiosity as she sought to establish the particulars of the cargo, including its ownership and destination.

Lydia Olando Maloba who is currently detained in DRC. /CITIZEN TV

“There was a huge cargo meant to be delivered somewhere, so she wanted to know the details of the cargo, who it belonged to and where it was heading. That was her only fault,” Mbotela disclosed.

Meanwhile, Maloba's family urged the Kenyan government to intervene, noting that KQ's efforts alone were not enough as their kin, who despite being set free by the courts in DRC, remains in custody 16 days after the incident occurred.

“We’re really praying, we’ve been in a place of prayer and of course, we really trust in God, but we really need, by the grace of God the government can just come through and help us to find a solution for this so that our mum can come back because she has been devoted in her work,” her daughter Yvonne Mary Maneno, who was overcome with grief, said.

The family is also seeking to have Maloba's husband Olando Maloba allowed to see or speak to her, with her relatives revealing that Olando has been stranded in Kinshasa for 13 days with no help in freeing her.

In Mombasa, Maloba's parents who are still disturbed by her detention appealed to the relevant authorities to keep them informed.

“I would like to request that they keep us informed and work hard so that our daughter and her colleague are able to be released from where they are being detained so they can come back home,” noted the father.

The station manager’s mother revealed that the situation was troubling for them and prayed for her release. Maloba, based in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was detained alongside her Congolese Colleague Olivier Lufungula at the military camp on April 19.

The two were reportedly apprehended based on the accusation of missing customs documentation related to valuable cargo scheduled for transport on a KQ flight on April 12, 2024.

Despite being set free by the courts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the duo has remained detained. Efforts to release them have borne no fruits.

The saga is threatening to ignite a diplomatic row between DRC and Kenya, with Kenya Airways responding to the standoff by suspending all its flights to Kinshasa on Monday, April 29.

Condemning the events, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei revealed that Kenya took great exception to the arrest and detention of its nationals lawfully carrying out commercial activities in the DRC.