Authorities: Fire at JKIA contained, operations unaffected

The fire that broke out on the grassland surrounding Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has been contained, Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri has confirmed.

Although the cause remains unknown, Muchiri assured the public that there was no threat to critical airport infrastructure or operations.

“The fire started at around 6:30 p.m. and was contained by approximately 9:00 p.m. No airport operations were affected. The cause of the fire is yet to be established,” Muchiri stated.

Echoing his remarks, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) said a coordinated response team—including the KAA Airport Rescue & Fire Fighting Service, the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF), and the Nairobi County Fire Unit—acted swiftly to contain and extinguish the blaze.

KAA also reassured travelers that all airport activities, including flight schedules, passenger processing, and cargo handling, remained fully operational throughout the incident.

“The fire was confined to non-operational grassland areas and did not impact any essential airport facilities,” KAA said in a statement.

However, as seen by The Standard, it is still burning at the contained area, and authorities are continuing to investigate the cause.

Further updates are expected as more information becomes available.