The Rainy season is here with us and Nairobi is no different. The City has continued to witness heavy down pours especially in the morning hours.
Today was no different as City residents were treated to heavy showers from the skies with the downpours apparently affecting people’s daily routines. Many people found themselves rained on with public transport operators taking advantage of the situation to hike fares.
Even Kenyans that board planes were caught up in the mess with those using the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport finding themselves rained on. One person caught in the rain was BBC’s Larry Madowo.
Larry decried the manner in which the pick-up and drop-off points at the airport have been located with the renowned journalist comparing flying into or out of the airport during rain to an extreme sport.
“Flying into or out of JKIA in the rain is an extreme sport. The pick-up and drop-off points are so far from the terminals that you have to get drenched. Do better,” said Larry.
Flying into or out of JKIA in the rain is an extreme sport. The pick-up and drop-off points are so far from the terminals that you have to get drenched. Do better, @KenyaAirports pic.twitter.com/KKORFxZUyB
— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) December 14, 2018
Blogger Robert Alai on the other hand took issue with JKIA’s failure to build an all weather shelter to help shield people from extreme weather conditions like the rain.
“Hey @KenyaAirports must Kenyans traveling through or working at JKIA go through this? Must they be rained on and fight to get into buses? This is what an international airport should look like? It’s raining. Be humane. Build an all-weather shelter,” he tweeted.
Hey @KenyaAirports must Kenyans traveling through or working at JKIA go through this? Must they be rained on and fight to get into buses? This is what an international airport should look like? It’s raining. Be humane. Build an all-weather shelter. @CAA_Kenya @UKenyatta pic.twitter.com/S4j3ZZgef8
— Robert ALAI, HSC (@RobertAlai) December 14, 2018
This is not the first time JKIA is on the spotlight for the wrong reasons. In May this year, Passengers using the airport complained of being forced to queue long lines so that their bags can be checked.
The passengers also complained of the staff being rude and unfriendly while doing the search.
Some passengers saw the long queues as a plot to solicit money from them without the staff being nabbed.
The passengers said that after being forced to open their bags nothing was actually checked by the rude staff. They were being asked to produce receipts for items purchased and if one did not have the receipts they were asked to leave their items at the airport.
Is JKIA slowly loosing it’s international status standards?