Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has blamed the regime of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta for leaking roofs at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Speaking in Kwale County on Tuesday, November 14, the CS stated that the leaking roofs were a result of poorly done renovations at terminal 1C and 1E.
According to him, the contractors that were brought on board by the previous regime did a substandard job, adding that the materials used wore off after a while.
“What we saw about the leaking roofs is a show of neglect for many years. When we got to the office, we found out that many of our airports are in a pathetic state and JKIA leaking is a result of that,” he lamented.
Additionally, Murkomen summoned the contractors explaining that they used low quality materials during the renovations.
“There were smaller pipes that carried water. But because of the temporary structures in place, when the planes take off or land, the heavy vibrations delinked those pipes because they are of a lower standard and smaller,” he explained.
Also Read: Murkomen Announces Changes at JKIA After Uproar
Murkomen Lays Out Plans for Renovations
At the same time, the CS stated that the government had laid out plans to renovate the airport assuring Kenyans that the concern would be addressed.
Also, he noted that he had brought it new contractors to fix the leakages even as the government planned out a more permanent solution.
“We are not sleeping on the job, we have made good progress, and we are going to sort out this issue. We are fixing the pipes, and we are working progressively to make it more long lasting.
“For now, the contractor is on site to do minimum repairs, but we have a plan to make sure that we do comprehensive repairs,” he explained.
In addition, he stated that plans were in place to construct a new world class terminal at the airport by 2027.
Cherargei shuts downs CS
Although the CS gave his assurance on fixing the leaking roofs problem, some Kenyans have remained skeptical of the implementation his plan.
Some have hit back at him for blaming the former regime, adding that he had an entire year since taking over office to fix the leaking roofs at the international airport, and therefore he was just as much to blame.
For Instance, Nandi County Senator Samson Cherargei wondered if the Transport CS would take just as much time to fix roads in the country.
“If fixing leaking terminal roofs in JKIA takes a whole year, then our roads in Nandi County shall not be fixed. This is the highest incompetence and lethargy of CS Murkomen,” he stated.
The rift between the two CSs has been widening in the recent past. Earlier on November 8, Cherargei opined that Performance and Delivery Management Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria was not the only CS who should face the axe.
According to the vocal senator, Murkomen was also an incompetent leader adding that he was a much worse bully than CS Kuria.
Also Read: Kenyans Roast Murkomen After JKIA Blackout
Uproar Over Leaking Roofs at JKIA
Earlier, on Monday, November 13, videos were circulated online of leaking roofs at JKIA shortly after concerns were raised over a 20-minute power outage at the airport.
Many Kenyans called on the CS to fix the problem adding that it was embarrassing for the country to have leaking roofs at the biggest international airport.
On the other hand, Murkomen made an assurance that the issue of power outage had been addressed by installing backup generators at the facility.
The mess at JKIA came to the fore during a national power outage, that also hit the crucial infrastructure as the government remains mum on the cause of the blackout that lasted for hours.
