(NAIROBI, KENYA) – Kenyan travellers returning home have accused immigration officers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport of demanding bribes of up to KES 5,000 ($38.5 / GBP 29.6) to move passengers ahead of long queues, as congestion overwhelms the country’s main international gateway.
Multiple recent incidents have been reported in which travellers were moved up the queue at the immigration checkpoint after paying money to officials, according to accounts obtained by a major media publisher.
“Having just arrived from a country where systems are applied consistently and without favour, I found this experience extremely disheartening,” one traveller, who asked not to be named.
“Such practices create a perception of preferential treatment and undermine confidence in the fairness and professionalism of our public institutions. As a Kenyan, I left feeling genuinely disappointed.”
A second traveller said he was fast tracked through the immigration checkpoint after paying a KES 5,000 ($38.5 / GBP 29.6) inducement.
The reports point to a wider problem at the airport, where congestion and lengthy queues are creating room for officials to bypass standard clearance procedures and seek unofficial payments from frustrated passengers.
The Directorate of Immigration Services did not respond to questions from the Business Daily about the bribery claims. The Kenya Airports Authority, which manages the airport and is responsible for the traveller experience, urged affected passengers to report such incidents.
“Immigration clearance is undertaken by the Directorate of Immigration Services, within the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services under the Ministry of Interior and National Administration,” the authority said in response to queries.
“KAA remains responsible for coordinating airport service delivery and working with the relevant agencies to address concerns affecting the passenger experience. We would welcome the travel dates, approximate times, clearance locations and any other relevant details, to enable referral to the Directorate for investigation and follow-up.”
Beyond the cost in money and time for travellers, aviation experts warn that such practices risk damaging confidence in JKIA at a time when Kenya is seeking to establish the airport as a competitive regional hub and expand capacity for rising passenger numbers.
Travellers have expressed frustration over the incidents.
Sources said immigration officials typically approach holders of Kenyan passports, while foreign travellers are moved up the queue with the help of local tour firms or hotels waiting for them at the airport.
Travellers are normally expected to receive equal treatment at ports of entry, except in specific cases that may justify priority processing.
Priority passengers, including elderly travellers, pregnant women, people with disabilities and those who are unwell, do not need to queue for immigration checks. But as congestion at the airport grows, frequent flyers fear that faster service may become reserved for those willing to bend the rules and pay more, at the expense of other travellers.
The Kenya Airports Authority says projects are under way to ease congestion at JKIA.
“The Directorate of Immigration Services, in partnership with KAA, is currently installing electronic immigration gates, beginning with Terminal 1A. Installation at this terminal is expected to be completed by the end of October 2026. Once operational, the e-gates are expected to expedite clearance for eligible passengers and reduce pressure on staffed counters,” the agency said.
“The JKIA modernisation project, which is ongoing, also provides for the optimisation and reconfiguration of existing terminals, modernisation of passenger-processing systems and development of additional terminal capacity. These interventions are designed to ease current bottlenecks and accommodate growing traffic.”
JKIA is expected to handle more than 9 million passengers this year, well above the 7.5 million it was designed to process annually. The result has been unusually long queues at immigration checkpoints and airline check-in counters, according to consultancy firm Dar, which was hired by the Kenya Airports Authority last year to design the airport’s development masterplan.
The existing terminal is to be upgraded to lift capacity immediately to at least 12 million passengers a year, while a new terminal will raise the airport’s capacity to 25 million passengers a year.