Hours after Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen blamed former President Uhuru Kenyatta for the chaos at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua agreed.
Gachagua blamed the JKIA’s infrastructure problems on poor workmanship by contractors and engineers during Uhuru’s tenure.
He defended Murkomen’s claim that hasty renovations under Uhuru’s reign damaged standards, saying those who criticize Murkomen don’t want the truth to be revealed.
“I have seen some people castigating him (Murkomen) on what he said about what happened at JKIA, but that is the truth,” Gachagua went on to say.
“In this country, people are allergic to the truth.” And quite a few have an issue with me, but there is nothing they can do since the truth is the truth,” he added.
While launching the 30th Engineers of Kenya Convention in Mombasa on Wednesday, the DP voiced concern about the growing number of unprofessional individuals posing as engineers in the country.
He bemoaned the current status of JKIA, stating it is a disgrace to the engineering and architecture professions.
“JKIA was built at great expense, but it is now a disgrace to the engineering and architectural professions.” “Public resources were expended, and when you go there, you feel sorry, but engineers and architects were certified, and payments were made on the basis of that certification,” he explained.
The comments follow a viral video that revealed leakage at JKIA just days after the airport was affected by a statewide blackout.
Murkomen lambasted the previous government for hastily conducted upgrades when examining Diani Airport Wednesday, claiming that accountability lay with the engineers and contractors managing the botched work.
