"Don't come empty-handed": Ugandan man narrates ugly experience at JKIA

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Ssenyonjo Henry says immigration officers at JKIA systematically targeted Ugandan passport holders and demanded bribes of up to KSh 5,000

- Henry and his friend refused to pay, but officers held them back until airport announcements forced them to let the pair board

- The incident follows a string of corruption arrests at JKIA involving KRA officials and immigration officers in 2026

A Ugandan national has come forward with allegations that immigration officers at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) ran a coordinated extortion operation targeting travellers holding Ugandan passports, raising fresh concerns about corruption at one of East Africa's busiest transit hubs.

Ssenyonjo Henry had spent 28 days visiting a friend in Kenya before attempting to board a FlyDubai flight to Dubai on August 17, 2026.

At the departure gate, he said officers singled him out based on his nationality and demanded payment before allowing him to proceed.

"This was my first experience but I’ve heard of similar experiences before. As for yesterday alone it’s so unclear why they targeted Ugandan passports holders only. This seemed to be a planned move by all officers who worked at the counters yesterday, because even if you tried to change lines and go to another officer they’d still send you back to that very officer as soon as they noticed you have a Ugandan passport," he told TUKO.co.ke.

The officer allegedly told Henry that a payment of between KSh 3,000 and KSh 5,000 was "the order of the day."

"Even if you tried to change lines and go to another officer, they'd still send you back to that very officer as soon as they noticed you have a Ugandan passport," Henry complained.

Henry and his travelling companion declined to pay. Officers held them back until airport announcements called their names ahead of check-in closure, at which point the officers allowed them to board.

As Henry walked away, one officer reportedly told him:

"Next time, don't come to JKIA empty-handed."

JKIA's Mounting Corruption Record

The allegation adds to a pattern of misconduct documented at the airport in recent months. In July 2026, two Kenya Revenue Authority officials were arrested at JKIA for allegedly demanding a KSh 120,000 bribe from a traveller.

In March 2026, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission arrested three government officials at the airport on similar charges.

Immigration officers have also been implicated in more serious offences. In March 2026, the Director of Public Prosecutions obtained an arrest warrant for JKIA immigration officer John Poriot, accused under the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act of helping two Kenyan nationals exit the country illegally for exploitation in Thailand.

EAC Integration Under Strain

Henry's travel also coincided with tightened health screening at JKIA following Ebola outbreaks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

From June 2026, Kenya required electronic health surveillance forms and temperature checks for arriving passengers.

Emirates and FlyDubai announced that travellers from Uganda, the DRC, and South Sudan would need to demonstrate at least 21 consecutive days outside those countries before being permitted to enter the UAE.

However, Henry's experience suggests that legitimate health protocols may have been exploited to demand bribes from travelers who were legally permitted to travel.

Henry's experience surfaces at a time of open friction within the East African Community over the implementation of its Common Market Protocol, which commits member states to guaranteeing free movement of persons across the bloc.

In July 2026, the EAC Council of Ministers convened to address 27 unresolved trade barriers that had not been cleared by a June 30 deadline.

Council chairperson Rebecca Kadaga acknowledged that non-tariff barriers "continue to undermine regional trade, increase the cost of doing business, prohibit free movement of goods and services, which is the crux of the EAC Common Market Protocol."

EAC data covering 2023 to June 2026 shows that discriminatory charges and fees imposed by partner states featured among the reported barriers.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.