Less than a month after President William Ruto launched the construction of an international airport in Narok County, it has emerged that work is yet to begin on the ground, despite his assurance that the project would be completed within a year.
Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina raised the alarm, calling on the contractor to immediately move to the site and commence construction.
"You, the contractor of Narok Airport, should immediately report to the site, hastily," Olekina demanded.
During the launch of the project on May 6, Ruto revealed that the move to build the airport was reached after numerous decries by the residents, who revealed that tourism was their major economic activity and that an airport would expand its value.
According to the construction plan, the construction of the airport would enable Narok County to become a direct gateway to the Masai Mara, one of the world’s premier tourist destinations.
Further, Ruto revealed that plans were already underway to ensure the airport is completed within a year, with both the county government and national government contributing Ksh700 million each for the project.
The project, whose total value is set to cost Ksh1.4 billion, was to begin in March, with the delay likely to impact the intended completion date.
''Today, I have come here with a contractor, and we have already paid him Ksh700 million to construct that airport. Governor Ole Ntutu has also contributed an additional Ksh700 million to facilitate the project. I have told the contractor that I will be here in March next year to officially open the airport," Ruto said during the commissioning.
The project will include constructing an airstrip and a terminal building where passengers go through the various stages of air travel, from check-in to boarding and arrival.
Additionally, the airport will feature a state-of-the-art building with numerous offices, several VIP lounges, shops, and security offices, among others.
However, more than a month later, a section of Narok leaders protested the government's decision to construct the international airport on land allegedly linked to former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Speaking during a public forum in Narok West Constituency, the leaders, led by Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno, insisted that the airport should be developed on public land, not private property, to avoid future disputes and ensure transparency.
Ng'eno, while opposing the construction of the airport, accused the former Head of State of allegedly proposing its construction on his land for personal gain.
He further alleged that a group of wealthy Kenyans were taking advantage of the region's lack of an airport by constructing temporary airstrips to attract tourists for their own benefit.
