A standoff has emerged in Turkana County as residents and civil society groups oppose government plans for a new airport in Kangatotha village, arguing that reviving the defunct Lokichoggio Airport is a cheaper and more strategic alternative.
Plans by the National Government to begin acquiring 1,500 hectares of land in Kangatotha, Turkana Central Sub-county, for an ambitious international airport project have drawn sharp criticism from civil society groups and local residents. They argue the move overlooks longstanding calls to rehabilitate the existing Lokichoggio Airport.
Strategically located at the tri-border junction linking Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan, Lokichoggio Airport serving pastoral communities including the Turkana, Karamojong and Toposa was once a bustling hub. At its peak, it handled more than 20 flights daily, many linked to humanitarian operations during South Sudan’s liberation struggle. Today, however, it is a shadow of its former self.
Friends of Lake Turkana (FoLT), a grassroots organisation advocating social and economic justice in the county, says the dormant facility remains critically positioned along the Lamu Port–South Sudan–Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor, a flagship multi-sector infrastructure project in East Africa.
FoLT founder Ms Ikal Ang’elei questioned the rationale behind constructing a new airport when the existing Lokichoggio facility could be revived at a fraction of the cost.
“The State wants to start all over again with a new facility at Kangatotha, yet Lokichoggio Airport only needs Sh200 million to be rehabilitated,” she said.
According to residents, the airport was a lifeline for the border town in the 1990s, when more than 35 non-governmental organisations established operations there, relying on it for both domestic and international travel.
“Lokichoggio Airport was extremely busy with passenger and cargo flights from across the world, including Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom, which did not need to connect through Nairobi. Hotels such as 748 Hotel were popular for accommodating pilots and even hosted flight service offices,” recalled local resident Benjamin Ekuwam.
Dr Ang’elei noted that Sh200 million is significantly less than the cost of building a new airport, particularly at a time when Kenya faces heavy debt repayments for infrastructure projects.
“With the A1 road now linking Kenya and South Sudan, rehabilitating Lokichoggio Airport makes far more sense, especially with similar road networks extending to Juba in South Sudan and to Kotido and Kaabong in Uganda,” she said.
She added that reviving the airport would strengthen Kenya’s position under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by boosting regional trade and industrialisation, particularly in the livestock sector, where cross-border exports could be facilitated more efficiently.
During public participation forums in Kangatotha village, officials from the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Lands and the National Land Commission indicated that the proposed land acquisition would support both a Kenya Air Force forward operating base and the Turkana International Airport.
However, residents opposed the plan, arguing that converting pastoral land sustained by generations into an airport is impractical. Civil society groups also contend that Lokichoggio already offers better proximity for any proposed military use.
“The infrastructure skeleton is already in Lokichoggio. It only needs a government that sees Turkana as more than a resource frontier. LAPSSET itself designated Lokichoggio as a resort city with an airport, but that commitment was quietly abandoned and no one was held accountable,” Dr Ang’elei said. “Now, instead of reviving what exists, we are being asked to surrender more land elsewhere,” Dr Ang’elei added.
Residents say the town’s economic decline began after many organisations relocated to South Sudan following its independence in 2011, exposing what they describe as the government’s failure to sustain the local economy.
“We now have poorly maintained streets, which reflect the state of hotels such as Camp North, 748 Hotel, Proland Inn, Trackmark and Kate Camp,” said Damian Etabo. “There are also abandoned compounds once occupied by organisations like the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN, Aircraft Leasing Services, Flex Air Cargo, Africa Expedition and Norwegian People’s Aid.”
Parts of the airport are now overgrown, with grounded aircraft left unrepaired for years.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki leaves Lokori in Turkana East Constituency after addressing a public baraza on June 7, 2023.
Photo credit: Pool
In July 2023, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, then Interior Cabinet Secretary, said during a visit to the town that at least Sh200 million was needed to complete rehabilitation works at Lokichoggio Airport. He pledged to work with then Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to fast-track the process and engage airlines such as Jambojet and Kenya Airways to introduce flights to the route.
However, funding constraints have stalled progress on the Sh281 million upgrade project being implemented by the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), delaying plans to accommodate larger aircraft and revive tourism and economic activity in the region.
On August 7, 2025, KAA Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager Angela Tilitei confirmed that Lokichoggio Airport remains a vital installation, but lacks a comprehensive rehabilitation plan and committed funding.
Meanwhile, beyond the proposed Kangatotha airport project, the Turkana County Government and the Ministry of Defence have an active framework agreement allocating eight parcels of land for military installations and training grounds for the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
Civil society groups insist that before any new airport or military base is pursued in Kangatotha, a full audit must be conducted. This, they say, should include monetary valuations, an assessment of existing developments, and a review of community benefits from promised social investments.
“A full, transparent audit of every acre of Turkana land already allocated to the military is critical,” Dr Ang’elei said.
“In April 2022, the county government handed over 145,792 acres of community land to the Kenya Defence Forces. That is not just a base, it is a territory,” she stated.
She added that about 9,000 hectares have been allocated for permanent bases across Kanamkemer, Kaputir, Kapedo/Napeitom, Lapur, Kibish, Lokichoggio, Nanam and Letea.
“An additional 50,000 hectares in Kapedo/Napeitom alone has been ‘reserved’ for military training access on demand,” she said.
