Governor Fernandes Barasa has called on the Ministry of Transport through the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) to expedite the process of rehabilitating the Kakamega Airstrip.
Speaking on Sunday, September 29, 2024, Governor Fernandes argued that the responsibility of maintaining the airstrip solely lies on KAA and the Ministry of Transport.
The first-time governor thus asked the Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir to take up the matter and ensure the airstrip was up and running.
Fernandes lamented that service disruption at the airstrip would affect the county economically.
“We saw Skyward Express announcing that from Monday, September 29, 2024, their planes would land at the Kakamega Airstrip because it needs to be repaired,” Fernandes stated.
“I now call on the Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir through the Kenya Airports Authority because the job of repairing the airport and runway belongs to KAA. Please I want to a very quick action to repair the runway so that planes can continue landing here.”
Salasya’s take
Earlier, Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya had assured Kakamega County residents and Skyward Express that the Kakamega Airport runway will be fixed by Monday, September 30, 2024.
Salasya told his constituents that he had reached out to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) Managing Director and the top management, including the Board of Directors chairman Caleb Kositany.
“I have warned the MD that if that airstrip is not done by Monday, I will now be the one to go and demonstrate in their office, and it will not be good. So he has assured me that he will be bringing the people to the site on Monday to come and make sure that a thorough renovation is done,” Salasya said.
“Because Kakamega Airstrip is really helping us, this car of mine here, just to Kisumu and back, is Ksh10,000 (fuel consumption), you can imagine. It is expensive, but now with KAA, just Ksh10,000, I am at Kakamega, and in 15 minutes I am in my constituency.”
