The Kenya Airports Authority has compensated residents who are to be moved to allow for the expansion of Malindi airport.
The authority has paid Sh300 million to the first group at Kwa Chocha South.
Another Sh200 million will be paid to the remaining residents before December.
KAA on Wednesday said they have completed mapping out the area earmarked for the expansion.
The project seeks to extend the Malindi Airport Runway from the current 1.4 kilometres to 2.5 kilometres.
The government has set aside Sh1.5 billion for the project.
Malindi Airport Manager Walter Agong said the process is progressing without hitches.
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He spoke in his office when Mining CS Dan Kazungu paid him a courtesy call.
“We have compensated the first batch of people at a cost of Sh300 million, people are in the process of vacating, by the end of December we shall be done with the compensation which will have cost Sh420 million,’’ he said.
“We already mapped the area for expansion of the runway, the report was handed over to the Kenya Airports Authority,‘’ he said.
Agong said the process of compensation was most transparent and accountable done by KAA, NLC, and Ministry of lands.
“The dream of making Malindi an international airport is real now we have a new apron which is 99 percent complete and will be ready in December to accommodate three code 4 c aeroplanes or four Boeing 737,’’ he said.
On his part Kazungu commended KAA for doing a tremendous job.
“The airport will be the fulcrum of Malindi transformation, as leaders we must push to ensure it becomes a reality,’’ he said.
Kazungu said the economic challenges of Malindi due to the poor tourism status will only be addressed by the realization of the international airport.
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