English television presenter and motor enthusiast Jeremy Clarkson has joined CNN journalist Larry Madowo in criticizing the state of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Clarkson expressed his dissatisfaction with Kenya’s premier airport in response to a thread he initiated on X, where he engaged his followers in a discussion about the ‘stupidest airport in the world’.
Initially, Clarkson identified Madrid’s airport in Spain as the ‘stupidest airport in the world’. However, when a follower suggested Lagos, Nigeria, Clarkson quickly changed his stance.
The follower highlighted the frequent and unjustified security stops passengers face at Lagos airport. Clarkson then pivoted the conversation to Africa, asserting that in his view, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was even worse than Lagos airport.
Expressing his perspective, Clarkson stated, “OK. I’ll take Lagos but if we are in Africa, I’ll raise you Nairobi.”
While some Kenyans agreed with Clarkson’s assessment, others found his comment disrespectful and potentially racist.
They criticized him for using his platform to denigrate Kenya’s premier airport, emphasizing that no infrastructure is perfect and suggesting that European celebrities wouldn’t publicly criticize dilapidated infrastructure in their own countries.
