Airfares on the Nairobi–Kisumu route have surged sharply ahead of the burial of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, with most flights fully booked through the weekend as mourners and political delegations prepare to travel to Nyanza for the final ceremonies.

The Kisumu-Nairobi route, one of Kenya’s busiest domestic routes, has witnessed an unprecedented spike in demand, stretching airline capacity and driving up ticket prices to levels rarely seen.

Aside from Raila’s burial ceremonies, people could be going upcountry for the Mashujaa Day celebrations, a day after the former premier’s burial on Sunday, October 19, 2025.

Also watch: Uasin Gishu Residents Ask County to Provide Transport for Raila’s Burial.

Fare shock

A spot check shows that one-way ticket prices on major carriers between Nairobi and Kisumu now range between Ksh18,000 and Ksh23,000, nearly double the usual Ksh8,000 to Ksh10,000 that travellers pay during ordinary periods.

For instance, Jambojet was listing one-way fares for Saturday at Ksh19,500, with only a handful of seats remaining, while Kenya Airways responded to the increased demand by adding extra flights and upgrading to larger aircraft. The national carrier’s fares are currently “starting from Ksh19,400” for the affected days. For KQ, available tickets from Nairobi to Kisumu are for October 29, 2025, departures, selling at Ksh8,270.

Under normal circumstances, the Nairobi–Kisumu corridor records significantly lower fares, but the spike has been directly attributed to event-driven demand as Kenyans travel to pay their last respects to the late opposition leader.

This is also expected to affect the public service vehicle sector, which is also expected to record a sharp demand for people travelling to witness the final journey of Raila Amolo Odinga.

Airline responses

To meet the surge, Kenya Airways has added new flights and deployed larger planes, including Boeing 737s, to accommodate the growing number of passengers. Other carriers, such as Jambojet and Safarilink, have also adjusted their schedules and re-priced tickets to manage demand. Despite these measures, most flights from Friday through Sunday are already fully booked, with only a few premium-class seats still available.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) has announced the resumption of normal operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) following a temporary closure earlier in the day due to the arrival of the remains of the former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, on Thursday morning, October 16, 2025.

In a statement issued on Thursday, KAA confirmed that all flight activities have now returned to normal and urged passengers affected by the disruption to contact their respective airlines for updated flight details and travel arrangements.

“The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) announces that Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is now open to normal operations following the temporary closure earlier today,” read part of the press release.