KAA: JKIA Fire Has Not Affected Operations

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has revealed that the section of land at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi has not affected operations at the airport.

In a statement, KAA revealed that it was actively managing the fire incident which affected a section of the grassland surrounding the airport.

"A coordinated response team, including the KAA Airport Rescue & Fire Fighting Service, the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF), and Nairobi County Fire Unit, is working diligently to contain the situation," the statement read in part.

"KAA assures the public that the fire is confined to non-operational grassland areas and has not impacted any critical infrastructure or operational zones of JKIA."

Screengrabs of part of JKIA land on fire, Friday, February 21, 2025.

The authority further assured that all airport activities, including flight schedules, passenger processing, and cargo handling, remain fully operational and unaffected.

"The authority will provide further updates as more information becomes available," added KAA. Some reports indicate that the fire has since been contained.

Videos and images which went viral on social media platforms showed that the fire had started near the Embakasi Garrison and spread with sheer momentum, accompanied by a dark cloud of smoke.

The inferno which began on Friday evening consumed most of the JKIA grassland section towards 75 Airport-North Road, leaving Kenyans outside the fence of the airport watching helplessly.

Whereas the exact cause of the fire is yet to be established, many netizens claimed it may have been started deliberately by an individual who dared to breach the perimeter of the airport which is usually closely protected.

The location of the inferno was close to a military base hence attempts at success would be minimal. Moreover, with several local and international tourists transiting through the airport, it would make JKIA one of the most protected institutions in the country.

Others believe that the hot weather coupled with strong winds may have ignited the inferno, with temperatures hitting 30 degrees in Nairobi. Still, where it began posed no threat to airport operations meaning if any asssailant started the fire to cause widespread disruptions, that person failed.

JKIA is no stranger to fires. One that broke out on November 19, 2024, stemmed from a vehicle which was parked on Level I of the JKIA parking garage.

On March 25, 2024, KAA announced the temporary closure of a section of JKIA following a small fire incident. In a statement, KAA revealed that the incident had affected its Terminal 1E, a situation that was quickly contained to avert what could have been a major disaster.

Arguably the most damaging fire to hit JKIA occurred inside what used to be the major airport's main building and international arrivals on August 7, 2013. The blaze had destroyed two of the three units contained in the building. No one was killed, but two people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Incoming flights were diverted to Uganda, Tanzania, and other airports in Kenya. The fire began at the immigration section of Unit I (used for international departures) and rapidly spread to adjoining Unit II, which was used for international arrivals.

Former Infrastructure and Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau in October of that year had attributed the cause of the inferno to an electrical fault. The aftermath of the inferno was a series of structural updates to JKIA to what it is today.

This latest incident dimmed the light that was shining at JKIA after it was crowned African Cargo Airport of the Year at the STAT Times International Awards for Excellence in Air Cargo on February 20, 2025.