• Residents have sued at Milimani courts and want any development on land stopped.
• The county chief said these individuals are not residents of Karo.
Mandera Governor Ali Roba yesterday accused "external stakeholders" of causing a protracted dispute over construction of an airport in Karo, Mandera East.
The county chief said these individuals are not residents of Karo.
There has been a long dispute between residents of Karo in Mandera East and the county government over construction of a modern airport. The current airstrip in Mandera is too small.
Residents have sued at the Milimani courts and want any development on the land stopped. They fear being displaced and their way of life disrupted as the airport will occupy a big chunk of their grazing land. They also cite lack of public participation.
But Roba told the Star on the phone that Karo residents were consulted and approved the airstrip late in 2017. This is the basis of current planning, he said.
Roba said his administration in consultation with leaders and residents will, however, address the concerns soon. “All Mandera town residents agree there is an urgent need for an airstrip. The challenges from some stakeholders will be resolved amicably through dialogue,” Roba said.
He said the current airstrip is less than a kilometre in usable length and is situated in a congested residential area, posing risks. “The aircraft operating in and out of the Mandera airstrip are not type-certified to operate from airstrips of such conditions," Roba said.
"If a take-off was to be rejected as a result of a technical or runway incursions, it would not be possible to bring the aircraft to a complete stop safely because of the runway length.” The governor is a pilot.
Roba described as false reports that Wargadud airport was also rejected.
“The community of Wargadud, where an international airport was to be built, approved the land and construction only aborted as a result of litigation by our own contractors. The case led to redirection of the funds elsewhere, after over one-and-half years of court battle,” Roba said.