Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was on Wednesday temporarily closed following a bomb scare in one of Kenya Airways' planes.
Sources said the incident happened at around 1pm when a confrontation
ensued between the flight attendant and one of the passengers.
According to the source, the said passenger who has since been
arrested mentioned the word bomb in an argument, making passengers
panic.
KQ head of communications Dennis Kashero in a statement said the passenger was in police custody for questioning.
“At approximately 1300 GMT today Kenya Airways was notified of a
possible bomb threat on one of our flights. The unfortunate bomb scare
incident was reported on flight KQ 762, which was departing from Jomo
Kenyatta International Airport for OR-Tambo International Airport
Johannesburg,” he said in a statement to newsrooms.
He added, “KQ would like to report that the passenger who raised the
bomb scare has been taken into police custody. All the other passengers
and crew have disembarked for security re-screening and the aircraft is
undergoing extensive security checks”.
Karesho said the national carrier’s core value is the safety of its passengers.
“We work closely with the relevant law enforcement agencies, Kenya
Civil Aviation Authority and the Kenya Airports Authority to counter any
security threats to our passengers and the country,” he said.
Earlier on, the Kenya Airports Authority received intelligence that
Somalia-based terror group was planning to attack airports during the
Easter holiday.
The intelligence brief indicated that Amniyaat terror group has
dispatched four Improvised Explosive Devices to be delivered to four of
its operatives in Dadajabula in Garissa county.
KAA MD Colonel Solomon Kaleli said the smuggled IEDs are small, round and magnetic and are intended to be attached to vehicles.
He said the alert already shared with various security operatives
indicated that the explosives maybe snuggled into other major towns and
crowded places.
"I have directed all airports and airstrip managers to convene
security meetings with security stakeholders urgently in their
respective stations to map out security strategies on how to mitigate
the threat," he said.
He added, "Measures shall include screening for both persons and
vehicles using Explosives Trace Detectors where available, explosive
canines where available, random searches, enhanced patrols within public
areas".
In January 2019, a smoke grenade was discovered in the washrooms at the airport.
A cleaner raised the alarm after he came across a red metallic gadget
next to the transit lounge where Somali bound aircraft are usually
screened.
“It was on the toilet breather,” he said in a statement taken by JKIA
Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) boss Joseph Ngisa.