Drama at JKIA as Two Cabinet Secretaries Hold Separate Briefings to Address Passenger Harassment by KRA

Kenya is importing new scanning machines for its airports in a bid to alleviate the inconvenience caused by the tax authorities rummaging through luggage to collect more taxes.

This revelation surfaced amidst a day of chaos wherein two members of the Cabinet individually conducted press briefings on Tuesday to acknowledge the public's frustration regarding the escalating mistreatment from Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) personnel towards incoming passengers. The initial gathering, arranged by the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Kipchumba Murkomen, occurred at the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) headquarters within Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to explore avenues for improving service provision.

“We have agreed after a lengthy discussion that we must establish an airport charter that brings together immigration, police, port health and Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), KAA and sign it by the end of this month,” said CS Murkomen.

The proposed charter will institute a governing council, headed by the managing director of KAA, who will be responsible for overseeing airport operations. Mr. Murkomen stressed the importance of signing a charter for JKIA and other airports in Kenya before the end of the month. According to the CS, this is crucial to enhance service delivery at the entry points. The KRA's decision to impose taxes on personal or household items valued at $500 (around Sh75,000) and above, regardless of their condition, has received criticism from both tourists and local travellers. The country's negative reputation is being fueled by the mistreatment of tourists.

Tourist and Wildlife CS Alfred Mutua conducted a separate media tour, accompanied by top officials from KRA to greet new arrivals from New York. According to Mr Wattanga, the tour aimed to welcome new arrivals from New York and showcase KRA's commitment to treating passengers with utmost dignity and respect, while also ensuring that their belongings are handled properly. Recent management changes at KAA have been implemented to improve service delivery. Visitors at JKIA are now required to exit their vehicles during the initial screening process, which has been a major concern for Kenyans on social media as it leads to long queues and delays.

Other reforms include increasing the number of exit and entry booths for parking services, implementing an Advance Passenger Information (APS) system for better passenger information, providing canopies at the airport for passenger protection during rain, and setting standardized prices and quality for food at the eateries.