The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has assured the completion of a fully optimized power backup system at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and other critical facilities by December 12.
In a statement, KAA pledged to finalize the synchronization of power backup supply to mitigate any future interruptions, following a recent 20-minute power outage on Saturday night, affecting JKIA and other parts of the country. The authority swiftly activated backup generators, swiftly restoring power during the disruption.
The synchronization initiative aims to ensure seamless backup support in the event of any power interruptions in the future, demonstrating KAA’s commitment to airport infrastructure resilience.
This recent outage marked the second occurrence within a few months, prompting scrutiny from the public and the Transport Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen. Earlier measures announced in August, in response to a similar incident, resulted in the dismissal of a key KAA manager deemed responsible for the prolonged outage.
Following the August outage, Murkomen expressed regret over the recurrent power disruptions at JKIA, emphasizing the urgent need for a robust and reliable power backup system, asserting, “There is no excuse worth reporting and there is no reason why our airport is in darkness.”
At the time, the then Managing Director of KAA, Alex Gitari, faced censure for his role in the prolonged outage, which inconvenienced stranded passengers for over two hours.
Meanwhile, Kenya Power is yet to provide an official statement regarding the cause of the Saturday night power outage. As December 12 approaches, all eyes are on KAA to deliver on its promise of a more resilient and efficient power backup system at JKIA.
