KAA boss Jonny Andersen, Cabinet Secretaries Najib Balala (Tourism), Dr
Fred Matiang’i (Interior), Dr Cleopa Mailu (Health) and James Macharia
(Transport) at the signing of an MoU on the Airports Service Charter at
JKIA on January 25, 2018. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The government on Thursday broke the ground for major works
aimed at turning around Jomo Kenyatta International Airport into a
world-class facility ahead of the inaugural direct flights to the United
States.
They include
installing a new parking system, kicking out corrupt personnel,
regulating taxi and tour operators as well as improving efficiency at
security screening points.
Passengers
at the airport should expect shorter queues, spending lesser time on
bookings and at baggage claims, and uninterrupted water and power
supply. And with a state-of-the-art garage, parking of cars will not be
allowed near the terminal buildings.
Three
Cabinet secretaries signed a memorandum of understanding binding seven
State agencies under their ministries, which operate at the airport, to a
100-day deadline on the goals.
Giving
the agencies’ chief executives an ultimatum, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i
warned that the masterplan should not gather dust on shelves.
“Government documents are signed everyday and we go on leave,” said Dr Matiang’i. “Others just disappear.
SIGNING CHARTERS
“We
can’t just sign things and walk away. Signing the charters is just the
beginning. I want a report from you on how we are performing on the
basis of this charter.
“If we
need to change the personnel, we do so; if we must invest more
resources, we do that, so that we don’t repeat mistakes that have been
made in the past.
“Change must be felt by people passing through this airport.”
Dr Matiang’i said he would convene a meeting every four months to ensure the high standards are maintained.
“We
need to change our attitude as public servants,” he said. “When you
take bribes, when you are working in Customs and you track fellow
Kenyans who are coming back to the country and make them feel as if it’s
a crime to travel, you are hurting our country. When you frustrate a
visitor, when you are rude and take forever to assist people, you are
hurting our country.”
ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES
Transport
CS James Macharia warned executives in his ministry: “We want to hear
action. Whenever we commit ourselves, we have to follow it up with
action.”
He cited a case where
two aeroplanes were grounded at Wilson Airport on orders of Kenya Civil
Aviation Authority director-general Gilbert Kibe. The planes, he said
without substantiating, were engaging in “illegal activities”.
Government
agencies at the airport are Kenya Airports Police Unit, Kenya Revenue
Authority, Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya Plants Health Inspectorate
Service, the Port Health, Immigration directorate and National Youth
Service.
Airlines and other private service providers are also targeted in the government plan.
DIRECT FLIGHT
KAA
managing director Johny Andersen said the agencies at the airport are
often not coordinated and, therefore, passengers are inconvenienced.
“What
we have been experiencing here is that we are uncoordinated,” said Mr
Andersen. “So, what we are trying to do now is to coordinate all the
services we have at this airport.”
Mr Andersen said the charter assigns long lists of “improvement items” to agencies that operate at the airport.
The maiden direct flight to the US, which will land in New York, is scheduled for October.
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