Passengers visiting Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) will soon not be required to alight from their cars at the primary screening yard as the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) moves to improve customer experience.
Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said they will be deploying technology to improve screening in a bid to reduce delays.
"We want to reduce the time spent by a customer or a passenger at the airport from the time they enter and board a plane and the time they land and exit," Murkomen said.
According to the CS, there have been a myriad of complaints from customers and passengers using JKIA.
"We want passengers to be screened in motion save for vehicles suspected to have suspicious materials...because what is happening here does not happen in other parts of the world. We will procure the latest equipment," he added.
He further disclosed that technology will be used to facilitate self-checking by passengers to speed up movement.
Speaking after chairing the first meeting of various heads of agencies at JKIA, Murkomen further announced that an airport charter will soon be signed.
He regretted that a charter that was drafted 10 years ago has not been in operation hence the current blame games in service delivery.
"We have agreed to establish a charter that will be chaired by the managing director, we want to make sure that these agencies operate as one," Murkomen said.
The charter, he noted, will provide ways for coordination and provision of services with a measured target for every department operating at the airport.
He noted that for a long time, there has been buck-passing among agencies when a fault occurs.
Among those who attended the meeting were heads of Immigration, Airport police, Customs, KEPHIS and Port Health.
State Department for Transport Principal Secretary Mohamed Dhagar was also present.
An Advance Passenger Information (APS) system to provide prior information about passengers for more efficiency will also be installed at the airport.
In a bid to reduce overcrowding at the airports and restrict unauthorised persons, the CS further directed the management of the airport to withdraw all cards being held by anyone cleared to access specific areas at the facility.
He said police will no longer be allowed to provide any VIP services at the airport as this will only be a preserve of licensed individuals.
"The police will concentrate on their responsibility of providing security...we have been told that as a result of this vacuum some even those on leave come back to the airport because of personal gains in carrying out this responsibility," he added.
The police units service at airports across the country, he stated, will undergo specific training to improve services at the airport.
He also hinted at a plan to create a stand-alone port of entry and exit police unit.
Other services that are set to be provided at JKIA in the new plan include free WiFi, more phone charging ports and breastfeeding booths.
The booths are set to be revamped and made more comfortable for lactating mothers.
