Kisumu County Governor Anyan’g Nyong’o a county that hosts Kenya’s third largest city Kisumu last evening took on twitter to protest a fare hike by Local Airline Safarilink which he accused of “excessive-high charges” and a ” rip-off” of its passengers in a bid to collect obscene profits from a gullible public. The Governor who had booked the Safarilink 7AM flight from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport to the Kisumu Airport paid the maximum price Kes.19000 (USD $151) thereafter issuing a statement has instructed the staff of the county to keep off the airline.

In a rejoinder, the airline has in a statement addressing the Governor indicated that Kisumu County had on the said day made a last-minute booking through its website thereby attracting the last seat available price. The airline has also accused the governor of not citing higher fares from other airlines during the same time of booking some of whom it termed of being “beneficiaries of Government Support.”

Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) for and against the Governor’s statement accusing him of poor planning and not understanding supply and demand rules in a free market. Others accused him of continuously carrying out his duties from Nairobi instead of his county while some challenged the county to use the national carrier Kenya Airways instead of supporting private airlines with tax money.

Safarilink was also on the receiving end with KOT accusing the airline amongst other domestic carriers of exorbitant fares to the lakeside city.

Safarilink also highlighted that it had continued to support the county in sponsorship of various projects and holding back flights for the Governor vowing to continue operations to the lake city despite the call to boycott by the leadership.

Many of those who commented on both statements however believe the situation would have been better handled by both parties rather than taking it online.