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{
    "id": 1353880,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1353880/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 159,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I am pleased to appraise this House on the information sought regarding the status of the upgrading of Kakamega Airstrip to an international airport as requested by Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale and as communicated in the letter to my office. The Kenya Airports Authority KAA) received an invitation dated 10th August, 2023 from the County Government of Kakamega requesting for technical assistance in planning and the proposed expansion of the airstrip. Subsequently, a team comprising of the representative of the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), National Land Commission (NLC) and the County Government of Kakamega carried out an inspection of the Kakamega airstrip on the 18th and 19th of October 2023 to assess the proposed upgrade of Kakamega airstrip. I wish to inform the Senate that the Kakamega Airstrip was initially designed for DHC 6 aircraft, with a capacity of 13 passengers as the critical aircraft, and was to be upgraded to accommodate Fokker 50 aircraft to 60-seater. The biggest aircraft currently operating at the airstrip is Dash 8Q100. I launched this service from Wilson Airport by Skyward and limited it from Wilson to Kakamega early this year with a 37-passenger seat capacity. Based on the design aircraft and considering the topographical and environmental constraints, planning studies conducted by the authority indicate that the runway can only be extended up to a maximum of 1,400 meters. Ultimately, in the future, when traffic may necessitate bigger aircraft requiring a longer runway, then airport relocation would have to be considered. The proposed upgrading of the airstrip would require the acquisition of approximately 20 hectares of land. This is to allow the development of critical facilities as well as comply with the International Civil Aviation Organisation's recommended standards in terms of critical suppression and obstacle limitation requirements. During the site visit at the Kakamega Airstrip, the County Government of Kakamega appraised the team from KCA on the survey and evaluation of the parcels of the land affected by the proposed airstrip expansion. However, the evaluation of the affected parcel of the runway is to be verified by the NLC, the Lands Act, 2012 and the National Land Commission Act, No.6 of 2012. Further, the authority will undertake the environmental social impact assessment and resettlement action plan for the airport expansion. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the technical report talks about 20 acres, but I do not think that we need the 20 hectares per se to extend to the 200 meters. I have had a conversation with my team that it is possible to achieve 200 meters first, even before we acquire the full 20 hectares. I have asked them to go back and check the limited number of acres we need specifically to extend to 1,400 meters so that it can accommodate slightly bigger planes of about 60 to 70 capacity."
}