The Kenya Airports Authority – KAA was on Sunday, December 10 forced to explain how the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) plunged into darkness following Kenya Power outage.
This after Kenyans raised concerns that the critical facility had become a monument of international shame.
In a statement, KAA apologized for the dark moment at the region’s aviation hub.
“We at Kenya Airports Authority extend our sincerest apologies to passengers, stakeholders, and all airport users for the inconvenience caused by the power failure experienced this evening at JKIA’s Terminals IA and IE,” read part of the statement.
Further, KAA noted that its standby generators had undergone rigorous service but that was not enough to save the situation.
“Over the past week, our generator system at JKIA has undergone rigorous testing to ensure continuous and reliable power supply. Despite these efforts, during tonight’s power outage, two of our four generators, specifically those serving Terminals IA and IE, failed to immediately activate,” the authority explained.
Also Read: KPLC Blackout: Countrywide Power Outage Strikes Again
KAA says JKIA was not in total darkness
At the same time, KAA assured Kenyans that the power outage did not affect the rest of the airport.
“We would like to assure the public that the rest of the airport, including the JKIA Tower and Runway, remained fully operational and was not impacted by this incident.”
Furthermore, KAA said its technicians swung into action and fixed the situation.
“Our technical team responded swiftly to the situation, and we are pleased to report that the fault has been rectified quickly.
Power was fully restored to the affected terminals.”
The authority reiterated its commitment to service delivery noting that it had launched investigations into generator failure.
“In our commitment to service excellence and operational reliability, we have initiated a comprehensive investigation to identify the root cause of the generator failure,” said KAA.
Power Outage
Kenya power suffered a power outage on Sunday, December 10 plunging the country into total darkness.
According to the listed company, a fault had affected the power system leading to the countrywide blackout.
“We have lost electricity supply to various parts of the country due to a suspected fault affecting the power system.
We are working to restore normalcy within the shortest time possible. An update on the restoration progress will be issued in due course,” said KPLC at around 9pm on Sunday, December 10.
At around 10.50pm, Kenya Power said it had restored electricity to several parts of the country.
“We wish to report that restoration of power supply is ongoing following a widespread outage that occurred this evening,” said KPLC.
In addition, the company listed areas where it had already restored power:
“Several areas in Nairobi City and its environs are already back on electricity supply. These include parts of Ruaraka, Embakasi, JKIA, Parklands, Donholm, Umoja, Huruma, Westlands, Syokimau and Dandora. Sections of Kisumu, Busia and Siaya are also back on supply.”
Also Read: Top Managers Fired After JKIA Blackout
Murkomen turns to police
Meanwhile, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen called on the police to investigate constant power blackouts at JKIA.
According to the CS, who said he rushed to the airport to assess the situation, there could be an element of sabotage.
“Considering the frequency of the power disruption and taking into account the fact that JKIA is a facility of strategic national importance, we are making a formal request to the National Police Service to investigate possible acts of sabotage and coverup,” Murkomen stated.
