NAIROBI, Kenya- The government has announced new operational and security measures at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as it seeks to improve passenger processing, strengthen inter-agency coordination and expand the facility’s capacity.
The plan includes deploying an Automatic Terminal Information Service, which will support the identification and management of domestic and international arrivals and departures.
Terminals will also be reorganised to accommodate centralised airline check-in and passenger-screening systems, alongside clearer designations for arrivals and departures.
The Interior Ministry said the changes were part of an optimisation programme intended to improve the passenger experience and overall operations at Kenya’s busiest airport.
The government is also proceeding with the construction of a new terminal at JKIA, with the contractor already on site, according to the Kenya Airports Authority.
The terminal is expected to take 54 months to complete and provide additional capacity for approximately 10 million passengers annually.
The measures were discussed during the 69th meeting of the Border Control and Operations Coordination Committee, which brings together government agencies involved in managing Kenya’s entry and exit points.
Immigration Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang called for stronger cooperation among the agencies operating at the airport, saying the new measures must be implemented fully.
“When we agree on certain things, it is critical that we follow them through so that it is not just an issue of simply ticking the boxes,” the ministry quoted him as saying.
Kipsang said border security agencies must share information and work through a coordinated, intelligence-led system.
“We need a relationship between all the agencies. We need a coordinated approach, one that is intelligence-led, walking together, knowing that we have a common focus on ensuring that our country is able to secure itself while ensuring that we don’t compromise on travel and trade,” he said.
JKIA handles approximately 8.8 million passengers and more than 358 kilotonnes of cargo annually.
About 60 per cent of the passengers processed at the airport are transit travellers.
The government expects the immediate optimisation measures to raise JKIA’s passenger-handling capacity from approximately eight million to 12 million passengers annually.
The announcement follows concerns over congestion, processing delays and passenger experience at the airport, which serves as Kenya’s main international aviation gateway and a major transit hub for East and Central Africa.
The Interior Ministry said the measures would balance stronger border controls with the need to facilitate international travel and trade.
