The government will spend Sh50 million to expand Kabunde airstrip in Homa Bay County to enable it to accommodate larger aircraft.
Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen said the runway will be extended from 1.2 to 1.65 kilometers and its width from 23 to 30 meters.
The CS said the government has waived the landing and parking fees for airlines using the airstrip to promote air transport between Nairobi and Homa Bay Town.
He said his ministry was committed to improving the infrastructure in the region to spur economic growth and urged travelers to use the facility.
Already, families adjacent to the airstrip have been relocated to create room for the expansion of the runway.
Murkomen said he had directed the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) to redesign Rongo-Homa Bay Road to create room for the runway extension.
“In order for the airstrip to accommodate larger flights, it must be expanded, and the expansion will affect other infrastructure already in place, including the road,” he said.
The current runway only accommodates small aircraft, and the landing is sometimes bumpy because of the short distance they cover as they taxi the runway.
The CS said the KAA will also embark on rehabilitating the terminal and other facilities at the airstrip, including building a car park.
Murkomen said the airstrip will compete with Kisumu International Airport when the rehabilitation project is complete.
“There is no need to waste time on the road to Kisumu to catch flights. This facility will save a lot of time for people from South Nyanza,” he said.
The CS spoke at Kabunde Airstrip after jetting in aboard Renegade Air during its inaugural flight to Homa Bay.
He was accompanied by Governor Gladys Wanga and received by Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma.
“The aviation industry is important to Kenya’s economic growth. It is a catalyst for other sectors like manufacturing and agriculture, so everyone should take advantage of Kabunde Airstrip,” he said.
Wanga said the airstrip will spur economic activities in the county, adding that taxi drivers will get customers from the airstrip as hotels get visitors traveling from the capital city.
“Some tourists have always complained about this county being far-flung. The airstrip will, however, change this,” the governor said.
Wanga said the airstrip will also unlock the county’s potential in trade and investment as it opens up the lake region.
Kaluma asked the government to hasten the compensation process for families to be relocated to pave the way for airstrip expansion.
Gogo said the airstrip will promote efficiency in transport between Homa Bay and Nairobi.
Mr. Patrick Oketch, the marketing officer at the aviation company, said they will maintain scheduled flights on the route.
Renegade Air is the only company that currently has scheduled flights from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport to Homa Bay.
By Davis Langat
