Against the backdrop of a power cut that left passengers stranded in darkness for hours at Nairobi’s main airport, the Kenyan government have sacked the head of the airports authority.
Africa Today News, New York reports that Alex Gitari was fired yesterday by Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen, who has apologised for the chaos.
He added that political interference had resulted in a demoralised and disorganised workforce.
The country-wide power outage’s precise cause has not been disclosed by the largely state-owned power utility.
The power outage that started on Friday continues to affect homes and businesses over a large portion of the country, despite some places having had their electricity restored.
According to the government’s most recent estimate, tourism accounts for around 10% of Kenya’s GDP. The industry is also one of the major providers of hard currency for the country of East Africa.
Kenyans on social media are outraged that the main airport did not have functioning back-up generators.
In addition to Mr Gitari, another senior civil aviation authority official has been sacked and the manager of Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has been demoted to a role at Mombasa’s main airport.
Meanwhile, there have been chaotic scenes and long queues at the entrances to Kenya’s national parks after the digital payment system failed.
Power cuts are not unusual in Kenya, but such a lengthy countrywide outage with Nairobi’s main airport, hospitals and even State House plunged into darkness is rare.
When things don’t run smoothly, Kenyans are quick to point to corruption – the colossal theft of public funds has long held the country back.
The transport minister said two generators procured for the airport two years ago are yet to be commissioned.
It would be interesting to know how much they cost, who got the contract and why they have not yet been installed.