NAIROBI: Investigators in Kenya were yesterday questioning police and airport workers suspected of taking advantage of a fire at Nairobi’s main airport this week to steal cash and beverages.
“It is embarrassing because some of them concentrated on looting instead of raising alarms,” said a police officer on the investigating team who requested anonymity.
“We’re questioning all of them. Police officers, immigration staff, civilians who work in other areas and even taxi drivers,” he added.
Security cameras had caught some thieves in action, he said.
Kenyan newspaper Daily Nation reported that seven police officers were being held for suspected looting and could appear in court tomorrow. The men were found with cash and beverages on them, allegedly stolen from the airport shops that were destroyed in the blaze, the paper said.
The cause of the fierce fire which broke out at 5am (0200 GMT) at the international terminal at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Wednesday and which blazed out of control for several hours has not yet been determined.
The airport’s main arrivals hall was gutted in the blaze, which took firefighters around four hours to bring under control, hampered by a lack of both water and equipment.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has ruled out terrorism.
“There was no element of terror, no evidence of explosions or improvised explosive devices in this incident,” he said on Friday on a visit to the airport.
But he warned that “those responsible for negligence will have to be punished”.
An investigator yesterday indicated that the fire could still be the result of arson.
“Given our questioning of witnesses and employees it is difficult to exclude (the possibility of) a deliberate fire,” said the source, who wished to remain anonymous. He did not give any further details on potential suspects or their motives.
Investigations were continuing “with the help of security from other friendly nations”, the president said on Friday. AFP
