The State will close JKIA Terminal 1E – CS Murkomen

The government will close terminal 1E in a few months, claiming that the facility has expired.

Speaking on Tuesday after touring Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said Terminal 1E, which is used for international arrivals, will be dismantled in the coming months once another one is completed. arrivals terminal.

“I visited the airport to inspect the progress of the ongoing works to build a roof over Terminals 1B and 1C which will resolve the persistent leaks on level 1 and at the same time create more capacity at the facility for a new arrivals terminal and lounges. VIP as we prepare to dismantle Terminal 1E,” the CS said.

JKIA, he said, is a critical facility that provides direct and indirect employment to over 15,000 Kenyans and is therefore a crucial trade and transportation hub for goods and people across the country, the region and the world.

However, the facilities have been a mess, from leaky roofs in some spots to power outages.

Last year, when the country suffered a nationwide blackout, JKIA was immensely affected when its generators failed. The CS later fired the facility officials and promised that the scenario would never happen again, only for it to happen again months later.

In recent days, users have also complained about roof leaks.

The CS made the announcement on the same day that the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and the Kenya Airports Authority, in collaboration with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, launched the Aviation Satellite Account (ASA) project to improve “the understanding and measurement of aviation sector activity.” Economic importance”.

“Through the ASA project, we seek to provide comprehensive data to assess the impact of aviation on various industries within Kenya,” said KCAA Director General Emile Arao.