Kisumu Airport set for August

President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga unveil a plaque to officially commission the expansion work of Kisumu Airport. Photo/FILE

The Government is cutting on costs to speed up completion of Kisumu International Airport by August this year.

According to Transport permanent secretary, Mr Cyrus Njiru, the contractor will now have to concentrate on completing extension of the runway, strengthen it and constructing runway shoulders that will be able to handle Boeing 767 aircraft.

He said construction of a new cargo apron and a section of the car park will have to be halted to be done later.

Different contract

“The new cargo and a section of the car park can be constructed later under a different contract,” he said during a meeting with Netherlands Airport Consultants and the contractor, Chinese Overseas Engineering Company.

Mr Njiru wanted the contractor to halt construction of a passenger terminal but after discussions he agreed to the building of the mezzanine.

He asked the consultant to advise the contractor on how to proceed with the changes. “We expect you (consultants) to advise the contractor on the changes that the government has effected, so that we can complete construction on time,” said the PS during his inspection of the airport.

He added that changes in the weather had affected the speed of the job. The PS also asked the contractors to operate 24 hours a day to complete construction of the international airport on time because the pace at which it was going on was too slow.

“We expect you to complete the work by August and will not extend the contract period unless we are satisfied with your explanation,” he said.

The PS, who was accompanied by Eng Stephen Gachukia, the Kenya Airports Authority MD, said the airport whose construction, costing about Sh3 billion, started in October 2008, was strategic as it was a centre of regional commerce.

First phase

He also announced that the first phase of the runway of 500 metres will be opened in two weeks. The work on the expansion of Kisumu International Airport is being undertaken by Chinese Overseas Engineering Company.

Construction of the airport had been delayed for months due to wrangles over compensation of the local community members, who were being moved to give space for the expansion.

The airport is expected to serve about 280 passengers per hour as well as heavier air craft. Expansion of the airport was necessitated by the growing number of passengers using it.

The airport, which is a blessing to the local community, is expected to boost the western Kenya tourism circuit with visitors being able to land directly at the facility before proceeding by road.

According to the airport manager, Mr Joseph Okumu, more flights have expressed interest of operating at the airport.

He said the airport, which now has about five flights operating daily, has received more request from other flights such as Thomson Ways from united Kingdom and One jet to use the airport on completion.