The Kerenga Airstrip in Kericho county is set to be upgraded to an international airport from next week, Governor Paul Chepkwony and Energy CS Charles Keter have said.
The proposed airport has already been allocated Sh100 million this financial year. The Kericho county assembly will approve more funds in the next financial year.
The Kericho government has also acquired land from Unilever Tea Kenya for the proposed airport’s runway. It will be extended from the current one kilometre to two.
Kenya Air Force officers from the Eastleigh Air Base in Nairobi and Kericho county officials have finalised a feasibility study and given the greenlight for the start of construction works.
Keter promised to support Chepkwony’s efforts to turn the airstrip into an international facility. He spoke during an initiation ceremony for seven boys at the governor’s residence in Mau Tea, Kipkelion East constituency.
Keter said the proposed project will boost economic growth.
“It’s one of the development projects that will promote tourism here, as international visitors will make a stopovers en-route to the Masai Mara Game Reserve or the famous Kakamega Rain Forest,” he said.
The CS said Kerenga will be a connecting airport for local and international flights from Western Kenya and the rest of the East African countries.
“Migori Airstrip in Migori county, which is also set to be elevated to an international airport, will boost connection flights from Kerenga for tourists heading to Uganda and Mwanza in Tanzania,” he said.
Bureti MP Japheth Mutai told the county’s 47 MCAs to approve funds meant for the proposed airport.
He said it is time elected leaders concentrated on development, instead of engaging in political grumblings similar to those that hit the county before the August 8 election.
“As a county, we have to forget our political differences that emerged before the General Election and forge forward in development matters”. Mutai, who was the county assembly speaker in the last term, said.