@ppcheti
The ongoing renovation and expansion of the apron and taxiway at Lamu’s Manda airport will be completed by end of November.
Transport PS Solomon Kitungu said on September 15 during the launch of the new Jambojet route.
The Sh190 million project which commenced in March had initially been scheduled to be done by end of August.
The PS who spoke in Lamu said he had held lengthy talks with the contractor who had promised to have the apron and taxiway ready before end of November.
He cited water as major challenge that had delayed smooth progress of the works.
The project is currently at a 55 per cent completion rate with the Kenya Airports Authority having provided a temporary taxiway where planes can still land and take off from as the works continue.
Kitungu said the ministry was liaising with KAA to establish a water desalination plant at the airport, so as to permanently resolve the perennial water shortage.
“We shall soon be handing over the apron and taxiway, so that all aircrafts requiring a two-km runway can be able to land there,” the PS said.
The announcement by the PS has been positively received by tourism stakeholders in Lamu, who are now looking forward to the high season set to start in December.
The chairperson of the Lamu Tourism Caucus Abdallah Fadhil termed Manda airport as a key element in the region’s tourism sector.
“The upgrade will enable bigger aircrafts to land and that means more airlines will be flying to Lamu. That translates to more tourists, both local and international,” Fadhil said.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
