CNN's Larry Madowo Denounces Murkomen, Shows Proof Of Woes At JKIA
The CS believed that the renowned journalist was not as vocal against the current regime compared to previous regimes which have struggled to address the problems at JKIA
Marvin Chege 
CNN international correspondent, Larry Madowo on Tuesday, April 16 responded to Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen who criticised him for constantly lamenting the state of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.
Murkomen appeared on Citizen TV on Monday, April 15 where he accused Madowo of double standards given that his international travels have suddenly made him realise the issues that have been affecting Kenya's main airport for years.
The CS believed that the renowned journalist was not as vocal against the current regime compared to previous regimes which have struggled to address the problems at JKIA, including a shade to protect arriving and departing passengers from the natural elements.
A terminal at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. /KAA
"I saw Larry taking videos at the airport. I was laughing because Larry was with us in the country for the last 50 years when that airport was like that.
"Suddenly because he lives in ‘majuu’ his eyes are open and realizes that there is no shade when you exit JKIA. It happens to all of us when we travel," he began.
However, Madowo responded by accusing the CS of gaslighting the JKIA issues and insisted that the Minister was misleading Kenyans.
To prove his point, he stated that the government did not need a pre-election terminal to build canopies for the existing ones and that his complaints about the 66-year-old airport began as far back as 10 years ago.
"Fun fact: JKIA is the only major airport where passengers wander on the airside looking for their aircraft like it's a treasure hunt," Madowo's tweet on May 28, 2014 read, his efforts to fact-check the CS for his 'suddenly' statement.
Terming a marketplace vibe that was yet to change 10 years later, Madowo then shared a photo of a queue on April 1, 2014, at JKIA's international arrivals due to a slow clearance at Customs & Border Control.
"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, Kenya Airports Authority," he wrote on December 14, 2018, sharing a photo of the airport without a shade to protect passengers when it rains.
This was a repeat of a similar situation on August 31, 2017, at the airport's Terminal 1E International Arrivals, where taxi operators were seen with umbrellas waiting to pick up passengers.
On that same month, on date 24, the JKIA issues stretched beyond a lack of canopy to escalators that had been out of service for months at Terminal 1B.
"If it's not the escalators broken down for ages, the toilets aren't working or the roof is leaking. The incompetence is legendary," he added.
So bad had been the lack of protection from the elements that on November 18, 2018, Madowo shared a video of passengers having to brave the rainy weather to board an aircraft.
Madowo's rebuttal received mixed reactions on social media, though this could be another day in the office for the journalist playing his watchdog role and holding governments of the day to account.
Meanwhile, CS Murkomen vowed that the airport will have a new terminal before the 2027 elections.
"It is not news that JKIA does not have a canopy for shielding passengers, it is a fact.
"I want to tell Kenyans that by the time we go to the next elections, we will have a new terminal at least complete or almost complete that will make JKIA a more competitive airport with facilities that are enviable and make us an aviation hub," he promised.
