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"It's not us!" Uganda disowns viral video of leaking JKIA roofs

Screengrabs showing rainwater pouring through the ceiling at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. (Photo: Courtesy)

By Dennis Tarus | Thursday, November 16, 2023

"Please ignore the trending video of an unfortunate situation at an airport in a neighbouring country, which some WhatsApp users have wrongly attributed to Entebbe International Airport," the Uganda CAA said.

The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority has distanced itself from a viral video showing rainwater pouring through the roof of an airport as travellers with their luggage were seen checking in at the counters.

The airport has since been identified to be that of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.

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"Please ignore the trending video of an unfortunate situation at an airport in a neighbouring country, which some WhatsApp users have wrongly attributed to Entebbe International Airport," the Uganda CAA said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Note that this is not Entebbe International Airport."

Please ignore the trending video of an unfortunate situation at an airport in a neighboring country, which some WhatsApp users have wrongly attributed to Entebbe International Airport. Note that this is not Entebbe International Airport. pic.twitter.com/T7Y63dRBz5
— Uganda CAA (@UgandaCAA) November 15, 2023

Blame games

The statement comes days after Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen faulted the previous administration led by former President Uhuru Kenyatta for the poor management of JKIA.

Murkomen insisted the engineers and contractor who were overseeing the renovations at the airport would have to explain why they did a shoddy job that led to the leaking that was exposed by Kenyans who circulated the videos online.

"When we got into office we found that the projects in the previous regime were substandard. When the renovations were done on 1C and 1E, it was done in a hurry and was temporary. We found out that many of our airports are in a pathetic state and JKIA leaking is a result of that," the CS spoke Tuesday in Kwale County while inspecting the expansion of the Ukunda Airstrip.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday also backed the CS saying the previous government paid contractors for shoddy work done.

"I’ve seen some people castigate CS Murkomen because of what he said about JKIA leaking roofs… people in this country are allergic to truth. A massive cost was spent on JKIA but today it’s a shame. Public resources were expended but when you go there you feel sorry," Gachagua said during the official opening of the 30th Annual International Institution of Engineers of Kenya Convention in Mombasa.

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) on Wednesday said, that over the past 10 years, JKIA has suffered from inadequate facility and infrastructural capacity to the extent that even temporary interventions became permanent solutions hence the current state of affairs in service disruptions.

"To this end, the Government has commenced the process of addressing infrastructure development of the facility covering the expansion of the passenger terminal, runway capacity, and provision of additional aircraft parking bays beginning this Financial Year 2023/2024," KAA acting CEO Henry Ogoye said in a statement.