Panic was witnessed at the Moi International Airport after the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) deployed emergency teams in response to an alleged incident involving an aircraft.
In a brief statement on Wednesday, KAA noted that emergency teams were on the ground managing the situation involving an aircraft. However, the authority did not clarify what kind of aircraft incident it was, causing panic.
“Airport emergency services are currently responding to an incident involving an aircraft at Moi International Airport. The situation is being managed by first responders,” read the statement.
A source at the authority told Kenyans.co.ke that the incident is part of an emergency drill at the airport. This was around 30 minutes into the chaos that saw many seeking answers about the incident.
Slightly over an hour after the reports of the emergency teams being deployed, KAA officially confirmed it was conducting a full emergency drill at the airport, ending the confusion.
"We would like to confirm that the emergency response at Moi International Airport was part of a full-scale emergency drill. The exercise was part of our commitment to maintaining the highest safety and security standards at our airports," KAA said.
Emergency drills at airports are usually done to test and improve the readiness of all responders in the event of real-life crises such as aircraft accidents, fires, or security threats.
They bring together airport staff, emergency units, airlines, and government agencies to rehearse coordinated responses, ensure that safety equipment and systems are functioning properly, and identify any weaknesses in existing protocols.
These exercises are also a requirement by international aviation authorities like the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to maintain operational safety standards
In September 2024, operations were brought to a standstill at the Moi International Airport in Mombasa after a section of airport workers staged demonstrations inside the facility.
Passengers were forced to wait longer even as security officers intensified their efforts to restore normalcy at Kenya's second-largest airport.
In a separate incident earlier this year, a wildfire broke out on a section of grassland at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.
The blaze, which spread toward 75 Airport North Road, was quickly contained. The airport's management confirmed the fire, clarifying that no critical airport infrastructure was affected.
It was later contained after emergency units intervened to prevent the fire from spreading further and threatening nearby facilities.
