This archive report was first published on 9 November 2019.
On November 9, 2019, Transport Secretary James Macharia revealed that private firms operating airport car parks in Kenya are allowed to determine their own fees, sparking concerns over the huge variations in charges among the country's three international airports.
According to Macharia, the private firms are allowed to set their preferred fees, which are then approved by the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA). This has led to significant differences in parking fees among the three airports.
For instance, motorists pay Sh60 to park for up to an hour at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, compared to Sh80 at the Eldoret International Airport. A minibus pays Sh70 to park at the JKIA for up to one hour, while at Eldoret International Airport, the service attracts Sh200.
MPs have questioned the variance in parking charges at the JKIA and Eldoret International Airport, arguing that the charges should be uniform. Baringo Central MP Joshua Kandie said, "The rates at Jomo Kenyatta are way less than what we pay at Eldoret, what is the rationale for this? We want to promote Eldoret as an international airport and we believe the rates should be the same for all three international airports."
