The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has issued an update regarding an explosion at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
In a statement on Wednesday, April 30, KAA said that the explosion was a result of a full-scale emergency drill at JKIA, which was successfully completed.
According to the authority, the simulation exercise commenced at 3:08 p.m. and involved a staged sabotage incident at the airport facility using explosives, including a simulated explosion at the terminal building.
The primary objective of the exercise was to identify potential vulnerabilities in airport infrastructure that could be exploited by saboteurs and to evaluate the readiness of airport personnel, security agencies, and emergency responders in managing such high-risk scenarios.
“The drill tested the coordination and effectiveness of incident management, emergency response, and business continuity procedures. The exercise concluded at 4:20 p.m.,” said KAA.
“This drill is part of KAA’s continued commitment to strengthening airport emergency preparedness and ensuring world-class safety and security standards.”
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The authority further assured the general public that the incident was entirely simulated and posed no danger to passengers, crew members, or airport operations.
The safety and security of all participants were strictly observed throughout the exercise.
KAA Acting Managing Director Nicholas Bodo, expressed his satisfaction with the successful execution of the drill, emphasizing its strategic importance:
“Conducting regular emergency drills is vital to ensure the highest level of preparedness. I commend the efforts of all the personnel involved in this exercise for their professionalism and dedication,” he stated.
As mandated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), civil aviation airports are required to conduct such full-scale emergency drills at least once every two years to evaluate their emergency response capabilities.
KAA issues update on JKIA grassland fire
The drill comes months after a huge fire ravaged a section of the vast JKIA grassland.
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In an update on Friday, February 21, night, KAA said that the fire incident which started at around 7.30 pm destroying a section of the grassland surrounding the airport, had been successfully contained.
The authority further confirmed that the fire was confined to non-operational grassland areas and did not impact any critical infrastructure or operational zones of JKIA.
“A coordinated response team, comprising the KAA Airport Rescue & Fire Fighting Service, the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF), National Police Service, Kenya Pipeline, Nairobi County Fire Unit, KK Security and G4S worked diligently to bring the fire under control, leading to successful containment,” read part of the statement.
All airport activities, including flight schedules, passenger processing, and cargo handling, remain fully operational and were unaffected throughout the incident.
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