The government has mandated that all customs officers wear body-worn cameras starting later this year, as part of a raft of changes in airport operations.
The reforms announced by Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir on Friday, January 30, direct that all Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) be equipped with body cameras effective July 1 to ensure transparency and efficiency.
Chirchir further directed that all staff working for Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Immigration, Port Health, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), Ministry of Tourism, National Police Service, and retail concessionaires “must wear uniforms and name tags within two weeks.”
“Further customer service training will be provided for all staff of agencies operating at the airport,” stated Chirchir.
The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is the flagship airport of the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA). It boasts of over 40 passenger airlines and 25 cargo airlines.
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KAA
Kenya has also increased the duty-free limit from Ksh50,000 to Ksh250,000 and announced a doubling of immigration booths and staff at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in new airport reforms.
“Within 90 days, immigration booths at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) will be doubled, along with a corresponding increase in staff, to expedite passenger clearance and reduce overcrowding,” mandated Chirchir.
The reforms follow a Cabinet decision to exempt all citizens from across Africa from Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) requirements.
“Multiple-entry ETA and expedited ETA processing have been operationalised,” revealed CS Chirchir.
Going forward, the government will be deploying technology to monitor and ensure accountability for all staff working at JKIA, aiming to enhance service delivery.
Chirchir has announced that the government will be introducing electronic self-clearance gates (e-Gates) to facilitate faster and more efficient immigration processing.
In what is likely to be a huge welcome for travellers, the CS directed that only bags flagged by security scanners will be opened in a dedicated screening room.
Kenya will also operationalise the immediate implementation of advanced passenger information systems to enhance international security and streamline operational
efficiency.
Travellers receiving services at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)
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Larry Madowo