CS Murkomen alleges sabotage after widespread power outage hits kenya
In the aftermath of the widespread power outage that plunged various Kenyan counties into darkness, Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen is alleging deliberate sabotage.
In a statement released on X, Murkomen expressed concern over the frequency of power disruptions and the strategic importance of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
“A power outage was experienced in many parts of the country tonight. Changeover to the standby generators ensured power was immediately restored to most parts of JKIA. Regrettably, supply did not immediately resume at terminals 1A and 1E,” Murkomen tweeted.
Taking proactive measures, Murkomen led a team, including the PS Transport, Kenya Airports Authority Board Chairman, and Managing Director, to assess the situation at JKIA. Concerned about the possibility of sabotage, he announced a formal request to the National Police Service for an investigation into possible acts of sabotage and cover-up.
“While we have been addressing problems at JKIA progressively, 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.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) issued an apology to passengers and stakeholders affected by the power failure at Terminals 1A and 1E. In their statement, they assured the public that the rest of the airport, including the JKIA Tower and Runway, remained fully operational and was not impacted by the incident. The technical team rectified the generator failure swiftly, and power was fully restored to the affected terminals.
In response to the outage, Kenya Power issued three statements. The first reassured Kenyans of ongoing efforts to restore power, while the final statement at 10:50pm acknowledged the restoration progress but apologised for subsequent interruptions. They reported that several areas in Nairobi City and its environs, as well as parts of Kisumu, Busia, and Siaya, were already back on electricity supply, with efforts underway to restore normal supply to all areas soon.
The final statement issued at 2:10am on Monday, December 11, read, “We are glad to report that power supply has been restored in the whole of Mt Kenya, South Nyanza, Western, Central Rift, North Rift, North Eastern and most parts of Nairobi. Restoration for Coast region and sections of Nairobi is ongoing. We thank our customers for their patience and assure them that we are working round the clock to restore normalcy to the remaining areas as soon as possible.”