Kenya Airways has introduced random alcohol and psychoactive substances testing for all staff and contracted personnel to curb rising cases of drug abuse, reports The Standard.

According to the report, several of the airline's cabin crew have been arrested and detained in the recent past over alleged drug trafficking and deported back to the country.

The random tests have been approved by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, according to the airlines Staff notice number 016/2017 dated April 17, 2017, signed by Acting Group Human Resources Director Lucy Muhiu. The directive was launched by the airline on April 25, 2017.

The airline says that the tests are meant to ensure that anyone at their premises is in a safe environment and that KQ is complaint with the provisions of the Kenya Civil Aviation Regulations (KCARs) in relation to drugs.