The sacking of Alex Gitari as the managing director of the cash-rich Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) was occasioned by two blackouts that plunged Jomo Kenyatta International Airport into darkness, disrupting services.
Business Day Africa has established that JKIA suffered a serious power outage in Terminal 1A, 1B and 1C, on Tuesday, prior to the one witnessed on Friday.
These terminals are used for international departures and arrivals and the blackout delayed flights that were due to depart.
“JKIA was plunged into total darkness on Tuesday and the blackout witnessed on Friday was the second in a week,” said a source who spoke to Business Day Africa.
“There was a major disruption in services as passengers could not board without being screened by the security as all scanners were not functioning at that time.”
The decision to terminate Mr Gitari’s contract two years into his tenure is believed to have been occasioned by a serious lapse in management of the facility.
“Actually the decision to sack him was occasioned by the second blackout on Friday because he did not act in correcting the anomaly witnessed on Tuesday,” added the source.
Kenya experienced a countrywide blackout on Friday in what the power utility firm attributed to “system disturbance.”
Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said over the weekend that JKIA had two standby generators that have not been commissioned since they were procured two years ago.
It has also emerged that the runway and Air Traffic Control Tower were affected by the blackout, contrary to Mr Murkomen’s statement that these facilities were not impacted by the power outage as the generators servicing the two units deployed immediately.
The CS also terminated the contract of Eng Fred Odawo, who was General Manager Project and Engineering Services at the airport and he was replaced by Samuel Mwochache in an acting capacity.
Mr Gitari, who has been replaced by Henry Ogoye, had acted for two years prior to his confirmation in July 2021 after the Norwegian Jonny Andersen’s term came to an end.