Isiolo, Meru leaders ask KAA to complete works at Isiolo Airport

Isiolo International Airport

Isiolo and Meru leaders have called on Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) to complete the works at Isiolo International Airport.

The leaders, led by Governors Mohammed Kuti (Isiolo) and Kiraitu Murungi (Meru) said KAA should extend the runway from the current 1.4 kilometres to 3km, set up a control tower and a fire station for the facility to be considered an international airport.

Isiolo is keen to use the airport to export livestock while Meru wants her miraa cargo that is sent daily to markets in Somalia to be relocated from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport to Isiolo.

The counties also want to use the facility for tourism together with Samburu and Marsabit, the leading safari destination in the northern circuit.

Horticultural products from Meru, Laikipia and Nyeri would also be export cheaper from Isiolo than Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

VISITED FACILITY

Lamu Port, South Sudan, Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) corridor board members and Isiolo County Government leaders visited the facility last week.

The airport was commissioned last October and both Dr Kuti and Mr Murungi flew to the facility from Wilson on a Fly Sax plane in the inaugural flight.

“We urge both KAA and Kenya Civil Aviation Authority to hasten the process and make this facility an international airport. We want to start business as soon as possible,” Kuti said.

He said currently there is minimal operations at the airport which he attributed to inadequate facilities including the1.4 km runway which does not allow cargo planes and large passenger aircraft to land.