Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, JKIA is back in the news, thanks to the onset of rains and the stubborn leaking roofs, causing global embarrassment.
On Thursday, February 29, video footage emerged, reportedly captured at JKIA, Nairobi, showing a leaking roof of the newly renovated terminal.
CNN African Correspondent Larry Madowo shared the video on his social media platforms sparking mixed reactions.
“JKIA’s “newly-renovated” terminal leaking when it rains. Is there no shame?” Madowo captioned the video.
JKIA’s “newly-renovated” terminal leaking when it rains. Is there no shame? pic.twitter.com/HZcKrldhAN
— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) February 29, 2024
The celebrated journalist added, “Our national comfort with mediocrity is infuriating.”
The 52 seconds video posted on X, drew mixed reactions from Kenyans, with some calling out the government.
Allan Obare on X questioned the adequacy of the budget allocation, asking, “The budget allocation of 700 million wasn’t enough for the renovation?”
Others expressed concerns about the quality of the renovation work impacting traveler safety and comfort.
Also Read: Murkomen Finally Fixes Embarrassing JKIA Blackouts
On the other hand, Bernard Koech pointed to issues within the project’s execution, stating, “What do you expect in any tenderpreneurs-driven project where the main goal is to fatten someone’s accounts instead of fixing the real problem? And sometimes that’s deliberate like those doing shoddy roads to ensure a constant floating of tenders.”
What Murkomen Said about JKIA leaking roof
The video surfaced months after Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen assured the public that a contractor would address the leaking roofs at JKIA.
Murkomen, in response to a circulated video showing roof leaks at the airport in November, criticized the previous administration, stating that inadequate maintenance under the retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime led to the current issues.
“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,” Murkomen asserted, emphasizing that the renovation at JKIA’s terminal 1C and I1 was sub-standard and intended only as a temporary solution.
Also Read: Murkomen; Why There Was No One to Sack at JKIA
The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) attributed the situation to a decade-long under-investment in facility and infrastructure upgrades.
Henry Ogoye, the acting Managing Director of KAA, acknowledged the problem, stating, “Over the last ten years, JKIA has suffered inadequate facility and infrastructure capacity upgrades to the extent that even temporary interventions became permanent solutions hence the current state of affairs in service disruptions.”
