Roads Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has assured Kenyans that power blackouts at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) are now a thing of the past.
In a statement on Tuesday, after meeting with Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) officials, Murkomen said that the officials have assured him that blackouts will not be reported at the country’s main airport again. This is after a logic-based system for the generators was installed to enable them to power on immediately after there is a blackout.
“Manual interventions have also been put in place, faulty control systems rectified, cabling systems expanded, and inverters installed to avert blackouts at the airport by allowing a 15-second transition time,” he added.
The CS has been receiving backlash from Kenyans in recent times over the power blackouts that have been affecting JKIA, with several political leaders calling for his removal from office.
The blackouts have consistently disrupted operations at the international airport, leading to the suspension of various activities at the airport.
Additionally, a new screening system is also set to be installed at the main entrance, and according to Murkomen, passengers will no longer have to alight from vehicles to be screened.
Meanwhile, other interventions being implemented at the airport include rectifications of the drainage system and the building of canopy shades for passengers. The CS recently announced that by January 2024, his ministry would have advertised the construction of a new airport terminal at JKIA.
The meeting was attended by Transport PS Mohamed Daghar, KAA acting managing director Henry Ogoye, KCAA managing director Emile Arao, and Director Air Transport Nicholas Bodo, among others.
