Treasury Targets Tourism, Mobility in Sh727M Airstrips Expansion

To expand tourism, increase freight flow, and improve passenger mobility around the country, the Treasury has put aside Sh727 million for the renovation and expansion of airstrips.

According to the Treasury’s budget projections, the money has been allocated for the forthcoming fiscal year, which begins in July.

Migori Airstrip would receive Sh211m, Lanet Sh203m, Kitale Sh130m, Isiolo Sh70m, and Angama Sh113m, according to projections.

Tanzanian tourists are being courted by KAA to use the Migori Airstrip, which will relieve pressure on South Nyanza travelers who currently rely on the remote Kisumu airport.

The Masai Mara National Reserve tourism industry greatly benefits from the Angama Airstrip.

Regular flights by airlines like Mombasa Air Safari, Air Kenya, and Safarilink are accommodated at the airport. It primarily serves Mara Angama Lodge, Mara West Camp, and more nearby lodges and camps.

The first phase of Angama’s rehabilitation and expansion project, which started in 2021, involved upgrading the airport’s 1260-meter-long runway and increasing its width from 18 meters to 25 meters to accommodate code C aircraft operations.

Repainting and fencing the airport to improve security are additional tasks anticipated during the first phase.

The second phase will see the current runway’s length increase from 1260 meters to 2500 meters and its width increase from 23 meters to 30 meters. The second phase will also involve building a VIP lounge.

The third phase will see the development of terminal points and a new runway measuring 3300 meters long and 45 meters wide.

The airstrip in Lanet should make it simpler to go to and from Nakuru town and the area’s other locations, mostly accessible by road.

At Kitale Airstrip, KAA is renovating and extending the apron (336m long and 39m wide), as well as completely reconstructing the runway (1.45km long and 23m wide).

The building’s purpose is to increase the flow of perishable horticultural produce from one of the nation’s agricultural heartlands.