After 18 years of false starts, the expansion of Malindi International Airport in Kilifi County is set to take off.
This is after the State agreed to meet the demands of locals to be affected by the project.
On Thursday, the National Development Implementation Technical Committee (NDITC) led by Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache said the government is set to Sh5 billion to compensate them.
“We have set Sh5 billion aside which will be used to acquire the land for the expansion,” said Mochache who led a team of other principal secretaries to inspect the airport.
The Kenya Airports Authority plans to, among others, extend the main runway to the north from the current 1.4km to 2.4km to allow large planes to land with ease.
Extension of the main runway will allow direct flights from Europe. Malindi airport currently occupies 248 acres and needs a minimum of 640 acres to extend the runway and ensure security and safety of the facility. – The Standard, The Star
