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.
Comments
Govt is the most inefficient…
Permalink
Govt is the most inefficient creation known to man. Govt Dept and agencies operating silo style post terror attacks and technology development is just ridiculous. Good luck with your slow evolution in this age of fast things
They can come up with all…
Permalink
They can come up with all sorts of new things but as long as Kenyans lack values, that place will continue to be a shithole country, Kumbafu,
Whoever misleads the Kenyan…
Permalink
Whoever misleads the Kenyan Government about dual citizenship should be put on the list of shame. If it requires a constitutional amendment, we the diaspora will fight for it in the same way we fought for our birth rights to keep our Kenyan Citizenship when abroad. What document should you produce to any authority to prove that you are a Kenyan Citizen? Kenyan Identity card? Kenyan birth Certificate? Kenyan Passport? School Certificate? We need to know.
The diaspora office must address this issue as soon as possible. Much as the Government needs to impose nonsensical fees, there is no duo citizenship that Kenya is issuing. We only removed that harsh clause of losing your Kenyan passport when you get ( by your rights) a passport abroad.
David Ikanyi Boston
Govt agency workers are all…
Permalink
Govt agency workers are all port of entries are nothing but well coordinated daylight thieves. They deserves and should been under lifestyle audit annually. The longer they serve the more they become richer and inversely proportioned to their salary. I know a few KRA agents, whose tasks are to follow up with taxes payments have flats and heavy commercial trucks operating under different names.
Two dummies rushing to the…
Permalink
Two dummies rushing to the airport to address a simple issue without success. They both want to look good but they don’t even know how to resolve the current crisis!
Import “luggage scanning…
Permalink
Import “luggage scanning machines”! I thought Ruto said the other day that kenya is now an industrial country? Why not making those machines in the Sugoi scanning industry? Nonsensical shit!
Instead of taking measures…
Permalink
Instead of taking measures to stop graft, our leaders are out to squeeze Kenyans even more by deploying the KRA. Any extra money they collect will once again be subject to more graft.
At some point we will have…
Permalink
At some point we will have to admit that Ruto is out of his depth in governing. After 10 years of being an understudy, he should be well versed but of course he spent his time gallivanting around Kenya politicking or working on a degree unrelated to governing.
A motion of “No Confidence”…
Permalink
A motion of “No Confidence” in the current UDA “incompetent government” should be passed and the government dissolved immediately.
Ndugu Samoei is unfit and incapable of leading the people of Kenya as their leader.
Ndugu Samoei should be reminded every second of the day how he lied to the people of Kenya in order to be elected.
A liar should not be rewarded by being elected president of our nation.
@ Mundumugo Let us not…
Permalink
@ Mundumugo
Let us not forget that someone in authority,(the former President Uhuru Ngina Kamau) warned the people of Kenya against voting for Ndugu Samoei, but to no avail. Another prominent member of parliament from Nandi Ndugu Keter again warned Kenyans (like Uhuru), but failed miserably.
Majority of the people of Kenya cannot wait until 2027, an immediate "motion of no confidence against UDA" should be passed by the caring and patriotic Kenyans and demand that the current illegitimate and incompetent government of Samoei be dissolved. When? Immediately.
A couple of my family…
Permalink
In reply to @ Mundumugo Let us not… by Imara Daima (not verified)
A couple of my family members who should have known better kept trying to convince me what a great president he'd make. Only now do they see the error of their ways. Lakini nimeskia hakuna maana ya kulia ukimwaga maziwa. Some lessons are painful though.
Ok
Permalink
In reply to A couple of my family… by Mūndūmūgo (not verified)
Ok
Kilio cha samaki hakina…
Permalink
Kilio cha samaki hakina machozi. Kenyans pushed themselves without pain into this quagmire and painful experience that they are wallowing in now. I told a friend that ruto's government Will be worse than moi's. Who does not know ruto is moi's practical politics student?
JKIA needs a complete…
Permalink
JKIA needs a complete overhaul!! It's such an embarrassment traveling in or out of the country. Customer service by airport staff is none existence with the attitude of "usinifundishe kazi" KRA officers will harass you beyond belief. Once your luggage is marked X with that chalk brace yourself to be embarrassed as your personal items are searched with staff who don't even wear gloves and they expect bribes. The baggage claim area is always full of KAA and KRA and other idlers waiting to pounce on travelers as they collect their luggage. The announcement speakers at the airport are horrible, passengers can barely hear them, air circulation is also horrible. KAA staff there are also pathetic, they treat europeans as demi-gods while Africans in the most rude and disrespectful way imaginable. In the age of youtube and tik tok vlogging, social media influencers are exposing the ugly truths about JKIA.
Add new comment