The East African Standard (Nairobi)
Noel Wandera
3 May 2004
Nairobi — The United States government will give Kenya a Sh3.12 billion grant to upgrade its aviation infrastructure and beef up security at the airports.
Mr Donald Yamamoto, the US deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs said the money is part of Sh7.8 billion the US government has set aside for the improvement of air transport in Africa.
He made the announcement when he received a Kenya Tourism Board delegation in Washington DC.
Yamamoto further promised that the US government would soon soften the tone of its travel advisories on Kenya.
"We are ready to tone down the language used in our warnings so as to minimise their adverse effects on the Kenyan economy," he said.
The Kenyan team was led by board chairman Raymond Matiba. Members of the delegation included KTB managing director Ongong'a Achieng and Kenya's ambassador to the US Yusuf Nzibo.
Yamamoto regretted that Kenya has had to suffer the adverse effects of the advisories. He said the warnings had been prompted by Nairobi's strategic position as a hub for air traffic in Eastern Africa.
The US travel advisory is the only one still standing after other western governments lifted citing improvement in the country's security surveillance systems.
Yamamoto said the funding is part of the US government's commitment to improve the security situation in Eastern Africa.
He disclosed his government's intention to establish a regional Africa Civil Aviation office in Nairobi, to take care of all civil aviation training in Africa.
The KTB delegation was in America to lobby for the lifting of the travel advisory.
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