Govt commits to streamline services at JKIA after complaints

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. [File, Standard]

The government has pledged to improve service delivery at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in response to passenger complaints.

In a joint statement, Cabinet Secretaries John Mbadi (Treasury), David Chirchir (Transport), and Rebecca Miano (Tourism) outlined plans to provide seamless, efficient, and courteous services to travelers arriving at and departing from JKIA.

"The goal is to reduce waiting times, minimize potential inconveniences, and enhance Kenya's reputation as a welcoming destination, while maintaining effective border controls," the statement read.

The initiative will also ensure travelers have access to clear and reliable information on customs duties and taxes, fostering transparency between passengers and government officials.

The government emphasized its intent to prioritize advanced technology solutions to streamline customs and immigration processes. 

"Automation and digitalization will reduce paperwork and expedite processing, enabling smoother travel experiences for both domestic and international passengers," the statement added.

Additionally, the government committed to limiting access to secure zones at JKIA to authorized personnel only, aiming to maintain the integrity of restricted areas. 

“All officials will also receive continuous customer service training to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and courtesy.”

JKIA has previously faced criticism from travelers due to its state and service issues.

On Friday, an Egyptian national Dina Sherif criticized JKIA staff for allegedly being disrespectful to her and her colleagues.

"For 15 books, 20 tshirts and some MIT caps, I was first asked to pay USD 1200 (Sh154,824). Then it went down to USD 950 (Sh122,569). Then to USD 800 (Sh103,213). All the while nobody would explain to me how they were reaching these calculations. Also, it is worth noting that these items did not even have prices tags on them, so they were assigning whatever value they wanted to these items. Over and above, they were disrespectful. They treated myself and my colleague with disrespect," said Sherif.

She added; "They yelled at us. They confiscated my colleague's passport and would not give it back until we agreed to pay. After agreeing to pay, it took them an hour to generate a receipt. Then when I came to pay by credit card, their system was down. After 7 attempts to pay, they finally agreed to give us the passport, but kept our stuff! This whole experience ate up 5 hours of my life after a 22 hour journey! Shame on you Kenya. I expected better."