NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya’s transportation minister has issued an apology to the nation following a widespread electricity outage that left passengers at Nairobi’s main airport stranded in darkness. The blackout occurred on Friday night at 9:45 p.m., affecting numerous areas across the country. Kenya Power, the electricity distribution company, explained that the power loss was due to a system disturbance that resulted in the loss of bulk power supply. Photos of stranded passengers sitting in the dark at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) quickly circulated on social media. The Kenya Airports Authority, the operator of the airport, stated that one of its standby generators failed to activate.
“I sincerely apologize for the blackout at JKIA,” expressed Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen on X, formerly known as Twitter. “There is no acceptable excuse for this incident, and there is no justification for our airport being left in darkness.”
The impact of the power outage on flights at the airport, a crucial hub for both leisure and business travelers to the continent, remains unclear. Kenya Airways, the national airline, has not yet provided a statement regarding the incident. Kenya Power stated that power supply to the airport was restored five hours after the blackout began, while many residences and businesses remained without electricity for over 12 hours.
Although power outages are not uncommon in Kenya, it is unusual for such blackouts to affect airport operations, with no recent reports of similar incidents.
Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Kirsten Donovan
Credit: The Star : News Feed
