Isiolo International Airport.
The government has said completion of Isiolo International Airport needs Sh4.8 billion.
Since the upgrade started in 2011, Sh2.97 billion has been spent but more money is required for the facility to be fully operational.
Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, while appearing before the senate on Wednesday, said that the airport as is currently, cannot support both passenger and cargo traffic.
An aircraft at the Isiolo International Airport on October 2019.
The minister had been taken to task by Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo on why it has taken more than 14 years to have the airport fully functional.
The lawmaker was concerned on why the airport is not operational, pressing to know steps being taken by the government to address the situation.
“As it stands, the project is a white elephant. Government cannot miss Sh4.8 billion to upgrade the facility. As you have said this airport is really important, can you give us a timeline within which you are going to commit to finalise this project?” posed Ms Dullo.
In his response, CS Chirchir said the ministry needs Sh4.8 billion in the short term to make the airport fully functional to support both passenger and cargo traffic.
He admitted that the airport is an asset that has not been fully developed even though it is a key component of opening the northern corridor to take advantage of the three landlocked countries of South Sudan, Ethiopia and the Northern part of Uganda.
The minister said the facility currently accommodates non-scheduled flights such as helicopters but is experiencing significant runway defects due to flooding caused by terrain challenges.
The issue, he explained, has limited the types of aircraft that can operate safely at the airport as it affects the runway pavement.
“The Kenya Airports Authority is awaiting additional funding from the National Treasury to address the issues, with proposals that include reconstructing runway pavement sections,” said Mr Chirchir.
He said Sh1.5 billion is needed for the rehabilitation of the existing runway which will include fully reconstructing it informed by the failures observed since the inception of the project.
A section of the 1.4-kilometre runway at Isiolo International Airport which developed cracks even before it could be used.
The CS explained that runway defects present serious risks, including safety hazards, operational limitations, increased maintenance costs and potential damage.
Currently, the airport features a single asphalt runway measuring 1.4 kilometers in length and 30 metres in width, three taxiways and an apron.
Mr Chirchir added that another Sh1.5 billion is needed to extend the runway to 3.5 kilometers from the current 1.4 kilometers to support bigger aircrafts.
VIP section
Some Sh500 million will go towards land acquisition for VIP section and car park, hangers and road expansion with improvement of drainage around the airport taking Sh300 million.
According to CS Chirchir, Sh300 million will be used to come up with an air traffic control tower with another Sh250 million airfield ground field lighting to enable operations of the airport at night or when the weather is not conducive.
A further Sh300 million will be required for a fully-fledged fire station to support the existing infrastructure and expansions.
To complete the airport’s perimeter fencing, Sh150 million will be needed to cover fence gaps that have not been completed.
“These projects all depend on the allocation of funding from the National Treasury with a projected budget estimate of Sh4.8 billion,” he said.
The CS pointed out that major construction works at the airport began in 2011 and were completed in 2017 but were executed in three phases with Sh2.97 billion pumped in.
He said the first phase involved the development of the runway, apron and taxiways between 2011 and 2013 before the construction of the passenger terminal building, office block and car park in the second phase.
On the other hand, the third phase involved the development of a 2km long access road, apron expansion and drainage works.
He noted that the modernisation of the airport is part of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (Lapsset) corridor development project.
Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi decried the delay in completing the project, saying the airport was strategically planned to enhance access to Northern Kenya and connect the region with major cities and international destinations, thereby promoting tourism and business travel.
He said that the project will help perishable goods like miraa not have to come to Nairobi but be flown out of the country through the airport.
“You don’t need to do everything the same day. Why don’t you even start with the Sh1.5 billion for runway expansion to get the airport functioning?” posed the Senate Deputy Speaker.
“This is an important facility that should have been completed a long time ago. The airport will help miraa transporters dying while using the highway because the airport is not functional. The abattoir in Isiolo will also use the airport to transport meat to Saudi Arabia,” he added.
The CS said the facility sits on approximately 800 acres of land traversing both Isiolo and Meru counties and is a regional and not just national project meant to leverage Kenya's geo-positioning in the region.
