JKIA Blackout: Kipchumba Murkomen Suspects Internal Sabotage, Calls On Police To Probe Staff

• Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was hit by a power blackout on the evening of Sunday, December 10
• Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen now wants the police to investigate the frequent power blackouts in the country
• Murkomen attributed the frequent power outages at the critical installation to a possible coverup or sabotage by government employees

Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has decried the frequent power blackouts in the country.

On Sunday, December 10, several parts of the country were plunged into darkness after a blackout hit Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC).

Murkomen: Police should investigate power outage

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), an important national installation, was also hit by the blackout.

The disruptions at JKIA sparked fury among Kenyans after it emerged that some of the recently installed standby generators failed to start.

In a statement, CS Murkomen said there was a need for the National Police Service to investigate the frequent power disruptions.

According to Murkomen, the frequent power blackouts could be an act of sabotage and coverup by government employees.

"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 said.

The CS added that the cleanup of the mess at JKIA continues even as police try to establish the truth behind frequent power outages in the country.

"In the meantime, the cleanup of the mess at JKIA continues. The KAA Board is under strict instructions to carry on with the reform agenda and the management to implement, as directed, the report of the technical committee, which I recently constituted," he added.

What KPLC said about power outage

Meanwhile, KPLC apologised to its customers for the inconvenience caused by the power outage.

In a statement at 9.16pm, the power distributor said a suspected fault might have affected its systems, occasioning the power blackout.

"We have lost electricity supply to various parts of the country due to a suspected fault affecting our system," KPLC said.

The electricity distributor apologised to Kenyans, noting that they were working to restore the power.

"We are working to restore normalcy within the shortest time possible. An update on the restoration progress will be issued in due course. We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused," they added.