Weeks after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced imminent changes at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), the cabinet has today endorsed the key changes, marking a significant shift in the main airport’s operations.
President William Ruto’s cabinet in its second sitting of the year held on Tuesday noon, approved the major upgrades at JKIA, including modernisation of baggage handling systems and improvement of stormwater drainage.
The cabinet secretaries also approved the establishment of access roads, the installation of covered walkways, enhanced air conditioning, and the installation of clear signage.
According to the dispatch, meet-and-greet services will be strictly regulated, ensuring only licensed facilitators operate within the airport to enhance security and order.
President William Ruto chairing his first cabinet meeting of the year at Kakamega State Lounge on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
PCS
“These measures take immediate effect, reinforcing JKIA’s position as a leading aviation hub by improving efficiency, security, and overall passenger experience,” read part of the cabinet dispatch.
To expedite the process of travelling, the cabinet also announced plans to increase the number of immigration booths as well as increase the number of staff.
Similarly, the cabinet members also endorsed the plan to introduce electronic gates to eliminate long passenger queues and speed up clearance.
Accountability measures will also be strengthened with new monitoring technology deployed to oversee airport staff, and mandatory uniforms with visible name tags required for all agency employees and retail concessionaires.
Other key changes approved by the cabinet included exempting all African citizens from Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirements and easing intra-African travel.
According to the CSs, Kenyans will benefit from an increased duty-free threshold of goods brought into the country, which has now been increased to KSh250,000 from KSh50,000.
Today’s cabinet endorsement comes exactly two weeks after CS Murkomen met with a technical team tasked with presiding over improvements at JKIA under a service charter.
Speaking during a meeting with the team, the CS stated that the rollout would be done by a technical team made of officials from the ministries of transport, tourism, interior and coordination, and treasury.
Murkomen revealed that the technical team had already begun working on the long-term strategy to enhance customer experience starting with the JKIA before embarking on other airports in the country.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen during a meeting with IPOA leadership at his office in Nairobi on January 22, 2025.
Kipchumba Murkomen