Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen Sunday, May 26 revealed the Ministry's plan to expand the Karenga Airstrip in Kericho County.
Speaking in Bomet County, the CS further disclosed that through the help of President William Ruto, the ministry had acquired funding to secure a larger piece of land to facilitate the expansion.
"Tulienda kujenga juzi airstrip yetu ya Karenga tukapata shamba ni kidogo. Tukaketi chini, muheshimiwa rais na mimi amenisaidia kuongelesha wazungu amenisaidia kupata shamba kutengeneza a bigger runway," he stated.
Murkomen's statement loosely translates to "Earlier we went to expand the airstrip but we couldn't do that because the land was not sufficient. I sat down with President Ruto who advised me to seek funding from foreigners and now we have a larger piece of land to build a bigger runway".
CS Murkomen noted that with the expansion, the airstrip will now accommodate larger planes and encourage tourism in the area.
The CS further asked for a piece of land from the county to ensure the expansion of the Bomet airstrip. He explained that this would cement Ruto's legacy in Bomet.
During the church service, Murkomen also touched on the increasing number of accidents in the country. He cautioned passengers against boarding vehicles and motorcycles that were already full.
Murkomen advised passengers to adhere to safety regulations and also put their safety first instead of waiting for accidents to occur and then blame it on the minister.
He however assured that the ministry had put in place all the right measures to prevent accidents including installation of speed cameras, cracking down on rogue drivers and intensifying enforcement of traffic rules.
Additionally, Murkomen emphasised that he was not opposed to working with any leaders to protect President William Ruto's legacy.
"How will roads be fixed if we can't sit down with governors? When the five years lapse, the locals will not question the County Government but will blame President Ruto's administration for failing Bomet," he stated.
He encouraged all governors to make use of his official offices to ensure all roads were fixed and areas were interconnected. Murkomen emphasised that his ministry would ensure all roads are well maintained despite the budget for the same not being in place.
