Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced that a multi-agency technical team formed to address customer experience challenges at Kenyan airports will begin implementing a new airports charter.

Taking to his X account on Monday, January 27, 2025, Murkomen stated that the team, comprising representatives from the Ministries of Transport, Interior, Tourism, and the National Treasury, as well as the Kenya Association of Air Operators, is working to find permanent solutions to enhance passenger experiences at Kenya’s airports.

The CS noted that the new charter is part of the measures developed by the team, aiming to establish a clearer coordination framework to ensure the faster flow of passengers through airports without compromising security.

“The multi-agency team, which brings together the Ministries of Transport, Interior, Tourism, the National Treasury, as well as the Kenya Association of Air Operators and other users of our facilities, will come up with immediate, short-term, and long-term measures to improve service delivery to Kenyans and our visitors,” Murkomen said.

“The team will also adopt a new airport charter which, among other measures, establishes a clearer coordination framework and ensures the faster flow of passengers through the airport without compromising security.”

Emphasis on technology

Murkomen further assured the team that the strategies being implemented will significantly improve customer experience for both local and international travelers. He emphasized the integration of advanced technology and enhanced professionalism among immigration officers as key components of the reforms.

“During our meeting this morning with the multi-agency technical team working on the customer experience report and its implementation, I gave our ministry’s assurance that we shall improve the professionalism of our police officers while using technology more to boost efficiency at our immigration desks,” he explained.

The meeting was attended by senior government officials, including Roads and Transport CS Davis Chirchir, and Principal Secretaries Dr. Ray Omollo (Internal Security and National Administration), Prof. Julius Bitok (Immigration and Citizen Services), and Mohamed Daghar (Transport).

We are committed to streamlining our immigration and security services at our airports to improve customer experience.

During our meeting this morning with the multi-agency technical team working on the customer experience report and its implementation, I gave our ministry’s… pic.twitter.com/XhUmI83EBH

— KIPCHUMBA MURKOMEN, E.G.H (@kipmurkomen) January 27, 2025

Persistent challenges

The CS’s announcement comes amidst growing concerns over troubling occurrences at Kenyan airports, particularly Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), the country’s primary gateway.

Recently, a foreign traveler, identified as Dian Sheriff, shared her ordeal on social media, claiming she had been harassed by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officials.

Sheriff alleged that the officers demanded payment for every item she carried, randomly assigning tax amounts without providing clear explanations. Her frustration, shared in a widely circulated post by CNN reporter Larry Madowo on November 8, 2024, also highlighted the rude behavior and verbal insults directed at her during the incident.

In addition to such reports, passengers have raised concerns over leaking roofs at JKIA terminals. A viral video captured rainwater seeping through the ceiling of a check-in area, causing water to flow across the terminal.

In response to the mounting criticisms, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) admitted that JKIA has suffered from years of insufficient infrastructure upgrades. This neglect has led to makeshift solutions becoming permanent fixtures, exacerbating current service disruptions.

“Over the last 10 years, JKIA has suffered inadequate facility and infrastructure capacity upgrades to the extent that even temporary interventions became permanent solutions, hence the current state of affairs on service disruption,” KAA said in a statement on X.