KAA settles on contractor to build Nakuru airport

For nearly two decades, Nakuru's journey towards having an airport has been bumpy and the idea remained just a dream.

However, 16 years later, the idea that was conceived in 2004, before the advent of devolution, will soon become a reality.

The long-awaited upgrade of the military Lanet Airstrip into an international airport is expected to start in the next two to weeks after the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) settled on a contractor who will build it.

The Nation has learnt that after KAA, opened bids for the construction work last month, it has picked a contractor who will begin work in the coming weeks.

"The tendering process was done virtually. We have settled on a contractor who will be on site in the next few weeks to conduct preliminary work and begin the actual construction," a source at KAA told the Nation.

The Sh3 billion project, located at the 81Tanks Battalion barracks, will see the Lanet Airstrip elevated into a modern airport.

From military to civilian

The airstrip has been serving the military but will now be expanded to become an international public utility airport to be used by civilian aircraft.

On Monday last week, Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui confirmed that the upgrade will kick off after the completion of designs and required approvals which was done early this year.

"The upgrade of the Lanet airstrip is set to begin in the next two weeks because the tender has been awarded and the contractor will be on site as soon as possible. The project will be a game changer to the tourism sector and commercial activities in the region," the county boss stated.

"We are working closely with KAA and the process of upgrading the airstrip to a fully-fledged airport will now commence. The military airstrip will be upgraded into an international airport that will accommodate civilians,” added Mr Kinyanjui.

But what does the upgrade to an airport mean for the region?

Boost economy

Nakuru banks on the airport, which will open up the region to the world, to bolster its economy through enhanced tourism and more vibrant flower exports.

“The airport will boost tourism and flower exports to various countries in the world. Flower farmers in Naivasha Sub-County and other areas will have a chance to exploit a huge market by increasing their exports to countries [in] Europe and the United States of America,” said Nakuru County Executive for Trade and Tourism Raymond Komen.

Nakuru County, which produces close to 70 per cent of Kenya’s flower exports, relies on refrigerated trucks to ferry the produce to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, more than 100 kilometres away, for export.

Naivasha is Kenya's floriculture heartland and home to leading flower farms including Oserian on the shores of Lake Naivasha, established in the late 1960s by the Zwager family, and the ailing Karuturi which used to export at least a million stems a day in its vibrant years.

Others in Nakuru include Fontana Flowers Limited, Alisha (Mau Flora Ltd) and Agriflora Kenya Limited among others.

Tourism

At the same time, tourism is expected to improve once the airport is operational.

County Tourism Association Chairman David Mwangi is upbeat that the airport will open up Nakuru to international tourists.

"The new airport will greatly boost both local and international tourism because it will enable tourists to easily fly to Nakuru. The airport will open up Nakuru County to the outside world and boost trade and tourism. On the other hand, Naivasha, being a cargo distribution point, will attract enormous growth of the hospitality industry, housing sector, transport sector among others,” said Mr Mwangi.

The upgrade of the airport comes when Nakuru County government is also eyeing the construction of the Sh520 million Lake Naivasha waterfront to shore up tourism numbers in the region.

The waterfront will have hotels, recreational and entertainment facilities.

Nakuru boasts of popular tourism sites including the world renowned Lake Nakuru National Park, Hells Gate National Park, Lake Naivasha, Menengai Crater, Lord Egerton Castle, Hyrax Museum, Mount Longonot National Park and Crescent Island among others.

Lake Nakuru National Park is home to the most majestic wildlife like lions, rhinos, zebras and buffaloes among others.

It is also home to hundreds of bird species, including flamingos which form a pink ribbon around the lake shore, attracting hundreds of visitors to Nakuru County annually.

Naivasha is home to the famed Hell's Gate National Park and conservancies that hold Africa’s near extinct species of herbivores.

Host conferences

Naivasha town has also been leveraging on the global fame to host conferences. Reputable firms fly in to hold global meetings in the town, creating an insatiable demand for new hospitality facilities which can cater for large delegations.

The upcoming airport will also boost Nakuru’ s bid to become a commercial hub in the East Africa region, which is picking steam, with the construction of the Naivasha Inland Container Depot and the planned industrial park.

The county is also banking on the airport to boost the growth of Nakuru town which is inching closer to attaining a city status.

The new airport, which will hold bigger cargo and passenger planes weighing approximately 40 to 100 tonnes, will majorly facilitate international connectivity and transport.

To locals and the business community, the airport will be a game changer for the region’s economic growth.

The airport is also set to offer job and business opportunities through logistics, warehouses and clearance facilities among others.

During emergencies, flights to the JKIA in Nairobi are redirected to Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret which are miles away.

The Nakuru airport will therefore provide a nearer place for redirecting flights to.

Already, the county government is in discussion with partners for the establishment of an aviation school next to the airport where 700 acres of land have been set aside.