Photos and videos shared online showed large crowds of passengers waiting at immigration and customs clearance points, sparking an angry reaction from members of the public.
Some Kenyans called on the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano to take urgent action to improve the situation at the country's main international airport.
One traveller described the situation as unacceptable, pointing to the long immigration queues and the difficulties faced by tourists, parents travelling with children and Kenyans returning home.
Another passenger argued that an international airport serves as the first point of contact for many visitors and questioned whether the current experience reflects Kenya's ambitions as a major tourism destination.
The latest complaints come amid continued concerns about congestion at JKIA, particularly during peak hours. KAA has previously acknowledged that the airport experiences heavy pressure late at night and in the early morning when several international flights arrive and depart within a short period.
The rising number of passengers has also renewed questions about whether JKIA has enough capacity to comfortably handle growing demand.
Some frustrated travellers even suggested that continued delays could force passengers to consider alternative entry points, including Kigali International Airport, before travelling to Nairobi by road.
The government has previously announced several measures aimed at reducing congestion. These include adding more immigration booths and personnel, as well as increasing the number of electronic gates to speed up passenger processing.
Kenya has also embarked on a Ksh154 billion upgrade of JKIA aimed at expanding and modernising the airport. The project, involving China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and Dar Al-Handasah Consultants, is expected to be completed within 36 months.
The expansion is expected to increase JKIA's capacity to about 22 million passengers annually while adding more check-in and security screening facilities.
However, the latest scenes at the airport have renewed calls for faster action as passenger numbers continue to rise.
Kenyans.co.ke contacted KAA and the Ministry of Roads and Transport for a response regarding the reported congestion but had not received a response by the time of publication.
Post a Comment