The United States unveiled a Ksh400 million funded state of the art security system at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
In a statement shared by the US Embassy in Nairobi, dated Friday, February 25, 2022, America funded the project which included a new central screening checkpoint installed by Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and a new state-of-the-art cargo screening technology,
The project is located at gate 19 is meant to improve the screening checkpoint and increase security effectiveness as well as improve the passenger experience at JKIA.
"These critical successes demonstrate what we can accomplish when the United States and Kenya partner to strengthen global security," the statement by the Embassy read.
Chargé d'Affaires Eric Kneedler also noted that KAA was now in charge of one of the most technologically advanced screening checkpoints in the world.
"Aviation security is one of the many ways the United States is focused on deepening our cooperation with Kenya on multilateral issues. Thanks to a strong partnership with our Kenyan Aviation partners, we look forward to future opportunities to work together to increase security capabilities in Kenya.
"We will accomplish this through continued equipment donations, capacity development, mentorships and sharing aviation security best practices so that together we can enjoy safe and secure air travel," Kneedler remarked in the statement.
Further, Kneedler noted that although they have been keen on upgrading JKIA, the North American nation was also looking into expanding to other Kenyan airports.
"Congratulations to everyone who made this achievement possible. I’d like to especially thank the leadership and staff at JKIA, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Kenya Airports Authority, and the Leidos Corporation for their exceptional collaboration to make this project a reality. We look forward to continuing our work together towards a safer and more secure world," he added.
JKIA has faced several uplifts in the last few years. In June 2021, KAA announced changes to terminal operations at JKIA that would be affected by scheduled construction.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, a representative from KAA revealed that the Turkish Airlines Star Alliance and Aspire lounges were moved to Terminal 1A located next to gate 13.
The two lounges operated at Terminal 1E which is affected by the ongoing rehabilitation of Terminals 1B and 1C. He further noted that the construction, which kicked off in January 2021, is expected to be completed in December 2021.
