Harrison Kivisu and Xinhua

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) is racing against time to conclude rehabilitation and expansion of Manda Airport to cater for the unprecedented upsurge in traffic.

The authority is currently implementing a raft of expansion projects at the airstrip to cater for larger aircraft and human traffic trooping at the tourism destination.

Chief engineer in charge of the construction work at the airport, Martin Gachagua, said the exercise, specifically targets the airport’s apron and taxiway, which have been dilapidated for years now, but with envisaged expansion will be able to attract bigger flights.

“The existing apron is not in good shape, currently we are at 50 per cent and we expect to end the work by August this year,” said Gachagua.

The poor state of the airport has seen it lose major airlines over the years who chose to withdraw flights to the region.

Part of the renovation including connecting the airport to the national power grid, through the last mile connectivity project to facilitate night operations.

Key government projects currently going on at the Lamu port have sparked a sharp rise of air traffic with the majority of guests and potential investors arriving from different parts of the word.

George Gitau, head of security at the coastal airport who spoke to Business Hub said a number of airlines are awaiting completion of the ongoing works so that they can start passenger business to Lamu.

Apart from an extended runway, Manda Airstrip has a new Sh160 million terminal building which can handle 200 passengers.

Key personnel such as engineers and consultants are flocking to Lamu due to ongoing investment activities with even construction materials and equipment meant for construction at the port being brought via the facility. 

Speaking after inspection of ongoing works at the airstrip in the company of Vision 2030 Secretariat Director General Kenneth Mwige, Government spokesperson Col (Rtd) Cyrus Oguna said Manda Airport  is currently operational after the runway was lengthened to 2.3km. 

Biggier planes

“The runway’s expansion was done so as to ensure the airport could accommodate bigger planes that carry more people and cargo, owing to demand for services in the Island,” he said.

Mwige said Lamu port is one of the key flagship projects that are going to open up the economy of all parts of the region.

“We have infrastructural projects along the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) corridor to open northern Kenya among them is this extension of the airport,” he added.

Meanwhile,  Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan have reiterated their commitment to advance the implementation the Lapsset corridor programme.

Starting at Lamu, programme, is the region’s largest and most ambitious infrastructure project, bringing the three countries together with key projects that include ports, highways, railways, oil pipeline and airports.

In her opening remarks during a high-level ministerial meeting on Monday in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges said that infrastructure provision is Africa’s top priority as the continent is moving toward integration and that African states need to closely work together to achieve that goal.

“As Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan have a common goal that aims to attain economic growth and prosperity, narrowing our common infrastructure gap should be our common concern.

And this can only be achieved through regional consensus and committed action,” said the minister.