Governor Guyo calls for speedy completion of Isiolo Airport runway expansion

Isiolo Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo has called on the government to speed up the proccess of the extension of Isiolo International Airport runway to host large cargo planes.

Guyo said the process had delayed even after the Kenya Airport Authority assured that the facility would be operationalized by January this year.

The County boss said the facility will be a white elephant if necessary measures will not be put in place to ensure its functionality.

"The facility will be a white elephant if necessary measures are not put in place to ensure its functionality," the Governor warned

He highlighted the potential benefits of the extended runway, particularly for pastoralists, miraa farmers, and horticultural groups in Nanyuki, once the export-standard abattoir is completed.

"The completion of the export standard abattoir will make the facility of great help to pastoralists from the region, miraa farmers, and horticultural groups in Nanyuki," Governor Guyo stated.

He said with the completion of export standard abbatoir the facility will be of great help to pastoralists from the region, Miraa farmers and horticultural groups in Nanyuki.

The construction of the runaway which is expected to cost sh1.2 billionn will be financed through exchequer funding.

KAA had pledged that once renovation on the existing runway and a cargo apron is completed, the airport will be up and running by January this year.

The facility is an important link to the new transport corridor that the government is developing under the Lamu Port–South Sudan–Ethiopia-Transport corridor project.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said the government had formed a technical team headed by the CS in order to look into and actualize the dream of having an international airport actualized.

"The construction work did not meet the required International standards and that the government will fix to ensure that it's operational," he said

He was addressing at Isiolo Girls secondary school today during a fund raising event where he helped raise over Sh 30 million

The facility was launched by the Retired President Mwai Kibaki in 2013 and officially opened by President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2017.

However the facility has largely failed to live up to its expectations, with some airlines beginning operations to and from the facility and later withdrawing after a few flights.

The facility has a handling capacity of 125,000 passengers a year, with its terminal designed to accommodate more residents and tourists.

It sits on an 800-acre piece of land with parking facilities that can take 200 vehicles.

The airport is also expected to serve the Ethiopian and South Sudan economies.