•KCAA director general Captain Gilbert Kibe said they have measures in place to ensure aviation activities are undertaken effectively as required.
•The authority is also prepared for the Africities conference set for May 17-21 in Kisumu.
Image: MAURICE ALAL
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority is prepared to handle the increased aviation activities, especially by politicians during the campaign period.
KCAA director general Captain Gilbert Kibe said they are ready for higher helicopter and light aircraft traffic in Kisumu.
The authority, he said, was also prepared for the Africities conference set for May 17-21 in Kisumu. The city will host more than 8,000 local and international delegates during the five-day summit.
Capt Kibe assured that KCAA was ready to ensure that flights are managed safely, securely and seamlessly in and out of Kisumu and the country as a whole.
“We expect an increase in air passenger movements, including VIP movement that will fly to Kisumu and its environs, and KCAA is ready for the task of managing the anticipated increased volume of air traffic,” he said.
The authority boss noted that they have registered and licensed more than 300 pilots in the country. He further directed drone owners to register them to ensure they operate legally.
Kibe said all Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as drones, must be registered as envisaged in the law.
“It is illegal to operate an unregistered drone in Kenya,” he said during a media engagement held in Kisumu on Friday.
Capt. Kibe said those found operating drones illegally risk six months in prisons or Sh2 million fine or both.
He said that there are regulations aimed at making the operation of drones safe, secure and orderly.
The authority boss revealed that they have registered more than 200 drones. Those seeking to import drones are required to pay Sh 3,000 for a permit with Sh 3,000 for registration.
Drone operators are required to pay Sh2,000 for operation authorization for category A and Sh 2,500 for category B and C.
For certification (retailers and resellers), one is required to pay a fee of Sh80, 000 and a renewal fee of Sh50, 000 annually.
Kibe said KCAA anticipates increased usage of drones within the Western Region especially for data collection, research for environmental conservation around the lake basin.
"The authority notes that drones are increasingly becoming part of business in the provision of other services including health care emergency services, creative economy, filming industry, sports and newsgathering,” he said.
The director general noted that bird strikes were still being reported at various airports in the country and that available data showed that there are three to six bird strikes per month at Kisumu airport.
This, Kibe said, is the third-highest number after JKIA (22) and Wajir (12).
He added that the Airport Multi Agency Team comprising KCAA, Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has undertaken significant steps to mitigate birds and other wildlife menaces at the airport.
He lauded the county government of Kisumu for making efforts in waste management by relocating dumpsites that attract birds.
During the meeting, KCAA informed the media that Kenya was highly ranked globally as far as aviation safety is concerned.
Through a mandatory audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that assesses a state’s implementation of the ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), Kenya’s current score is 75.41 per cent against a global average of 65.3 per cent and regional average of 51.1 per cent.
Kibe noted that Kenya is now able to have non-stop direct flights to the USA because of the rating.