Kenya Airport Head Removed After Blaze

{{The contract of the managing director of Nairobi airport will end in October, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA)’s board has announced, a week after a devastating fire destroyed a large section of the capital’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), East Africa’s largest.}}

In a statement released on Thursday, the board said Stephen Gichuki would “proceed on his terminal leave in accordance with the state corporations and regulations provisions”.

The statement, published on KAA’s website, did not say Gichuki was being sent on leave in connection with the fire but it said the authority had decided to “follow due process” in hiring a new managing director.

It added that the position would be advertised in the local media.

Lucy Mbugua, who has been KAA’s general manager for marketing and business development, was named managing director in acting capacity, the statement said.

A huge fire engulfed JKIA’s arrival hall on August 3, destroying the arrivals hall and causing the cancellation of dozens of flights.

The airport reopened for domestic and cargo flights on the day the fire broke out, but only resumed international flights a day later after firefighters put out the blaze, which began as a small fire before it swelled into an inferno.

{agencies}