The government has adopted a whole-of-government approach to improve the passenger experience at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

The new strategy will be implemented by the Ministries of National Treasury, Roads and Transport, Tourism and Wildlife and Interior.

In a joint statement on Monday, PS Interior Raymond Omollo and cabinet secretaries in charge of the ministries said a plan designed to provide transparent, efficient and respectful services to passengers arriving and departing from the The airport has been implemented.

“The aim is to reduce waiting time, minimize potential inconveniences and strengthen Kenya’s reputation as a welcoming destination, while maintaining effective border controls,” the statement said in part.

It was signed by PS Omollo, CS John Mbadi (Treasury); Rebecca Miano (Tourism) and Davis Chirchir of Roads and Transport.

They said the move was part of reforms aimed at bringing the JKIA up to world-class standards by creating a welcoming environment aligned with the highest standards of international airport management.

The review of operational protocols at the airport to streamline entry procedures follows feedback from travelers regarding customs interactions upon entry, they said.

Last week, an Egyptian passenger said she was frustrated at the customs office and demanded to pay $800 in taxes for items she arrived on a plane with.

“For 15 books, 20 t-shirts and a few MIT caps, I was initially asked to pay $1,200. Then it went down to $950. Then at $800. In all this time, no one explained to me how they arrived at these calculations,” Dinah Sherif said in a statement on her Linkdin account.

“Also, it should be noted that these items did not even have a price tag on them, so they were assigning whatever value they wanted to these items. Additionally, they were disrespectful. They treated me and my colleague with disrespect,” she added.

She said that even after they agreed to pay the requested amount, there was an apparent system failure that took customs officials an hour to generate a receipt.

“Then when I came to pay by credit card, their system was down. After seven payment attempts, they finally agreed to give us the passport, but kept our belongings! This whole experience ate up 5 hours of my life after a 22 hour trip. I expected better.

In response, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) said it “recognizes the recent delay in the provision of services to JKIA and the concerns surrounding the situation”.

“We sincerely apologize to everyone who was impacted by this inconvenience and appreciate feedback that helps us improve our processes. We are committed to learning from these experiences to better serve all passengers arriving in our great and beloved country of Kenya,” the taxman said.

“The senior teams are looking into this matter to find an amicable solution.»

On Monday, the government released an update.

In their joint statements, the four ministries said that, taking into account travelers’ feedback regarding customs interactions upon entry, the government was actively reviewing the JKIA’s operational protocols to streamline entry procedures.

“This initiative will provide travelers with clear and reliable information on customs duties and taxes, thereby promoting fairness between passengers and government officials,” they said.

In order for Kenya to live up to international best practices, they said the government would prioritize advanced technological solutions to streamline customs and immigration processes.

“Automation and digitalization will reduce paperwork and speed up processing, enabling smoother travel experiences for domestic and international passengers.”

This new development comes as the government fights legal action brought to prevent the proposed takeover of JKIA by The Indian company Adani Airport holdings.

The case, which was due to be brought before a judge on Monday morning, was postponed to November 27 and another application filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) was postponed to November 17.

The parties were informed of the absence of the president of the court but the orders which were issued stopping the execution a public-private partnership between the government and Adani remains in force.

Among the arguments put forward by the petitioners is that the deal was concluded in haste and that the procedures for the 30-year lease provided for the JKIA to the Indian conglomerate for the modernization of the airport and its facilities were neglected .

Meanwhile, the government said that part of the measures initiated to improve the passenger experience at JKIA was being improved. security, comfort and seamless access to restricted areas of the airport, including VIP lounges.

The areas will now be managed in strict accordance with airport policies where only authorized personnel will operate within secure areas in order to improve the quality of customer service across all touchpoints and restricted areas.

“All civil servants will continually undergo customer service training to ensure that they embody the highest levels of professionalism and courtesy, thereby reaffirming Kenya’s reputation as a hospitable destination,” the CS said.

“Through these reforms, we reaffirm our commitment to service excellence, welcoming travelers with efficiency and professionalism, while preserving the integrity of our borders,” they assured.