In a document seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the Kenya Defence Forces was alleged to have raised the alarm on obstacles near the Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, Nairobi.
The letter dated October 6, 2020, signed by Colonel E. P. Lopokoiyit, requested Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) to avail a team to visit the military facility to establish the facts. As of July 2022, Lopokoiyit had risen to the rank of Brigadier.
“There has been a progressive rise of obstacles around the Eastleigh Aerodrome. The series of 3D Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) that outlines the limits which objects may project in the airspace around the Eastleigh Aerodrome needs to be updated to ensure safe aircraft operations and also to prevent the aerodrome from becoming unusable due to further obstacles proliferation,” the letter read in part.
Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) define the volume of airspace near an aerodrome that should be kept free of obstacles so as not to hinder the flight of aeroplanes. The obstacles include high-rise buildings and tall cranes used to build them.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organisation, “The management of obstacles at and in the proximity of an aerodrome must ensure the safe and efficient use of the aerodrome environment.”
Media reports on Thursday, April 12, alleged that insiders at KAA acknowledged that the agency was hacked, with the motive still unclear. However, no damage, physical or financial, was reported.
"All the data that was accessed is public information. We didn’t know if they had made copies of what they claimed to have," an insider told a local media house.
According to Hackmanac, a company that monitors global cyber threats, the hack was carried out by Medusa, a notorious international hacker group.
They reportedly stole over 500 gigabytes (GB) of data in the ransomware attack. The data includes financial documents, technical designs, and company backups.
Medusa hackers also allegedly demanded Ksh67.2 million (USD 500,000) to stop the attack with a ransom deadline of March 10, 2023.
Meanwhile, on November 22, 2011, bulldozers flattened tall buildings near Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, citing heightened security risk to Kenya Air Force aircraft using the facility.
In the past decade, Eastleigh has experienced tremendous growth in high-rise buildings, including malls and residential buildings.
On April 12, 2023, President William Ruto assured the Eastleigh business community of a conducive business environment, especially concerning the waste menace.
