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JKIA's international arrivals terminal temporarily closed after fire incident

The entrance to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. (Photo: NNPKenya)

By Mary Wambui | Monday, March 25, 2024

In a statement on Monday morning, KAA said the fire was caused by an electrical fault that fortunately did not cause any injuries or casualties.

The Kenya Airports Authority has temporarily closed Terminal 1E at the Jomo Kenyatta Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) following a reported fire incident.

Terminal IE serves as the International Arrivals section of the airport except for those by Kenya Airways.

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Those affected have been redirected to Terminal 1A.

In a statement on Monday morning, KAA said the fire was caused by an electrical fault that fortunately did not cause any injuries or casualties.

"Following this, power to terminal 1E has been temporarily shut off as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all within our premises. To mitigate any inconveniences this may cause, all flight arrival operations have been redirected to terminal 1A until further notice," the statement said.

The authority added that necessary measures are being taken to minimise further disruptions and return to normal operations.

"KAA is dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of all passengers, staff and stakeholders at our facilities and is taking all necessary steps to minimise disruptions and return to normal operations as swiftly as possible," the statement added.

Terminal 1E was unveiled in 2015 by former President Uhuru Kenyatta as a modern state-of-the-art International Arrivals terminal fitted with modern security surveillance equipment.

It was meant to separate arriving passengers from those departing the country, a security requirement under International aviation standards.

KAA says the terminal has a capacity to handle 2.5 million arrivals every year.