The Nation (Nairobi)
Daniel Nyassy
30 June 2009
Nairobi — Malindi MP Mr Gideon Mung'aro is rooting for the relocation of Malindi airport from its current area to allow expansion.
Mr Mung'aro said the current location near town cannot allow for expansion of the facility thereby denying the tourist town direct flights from Europe.
"We want the government to come in to deal with this issue. The Malindi airport can change the economy of the Coast and the country because it will enable bigger aircraft to land directly from Europe," he said.
Speaking to journalists in Malindi, Mr Mung'aro said there was need now more than before to have an international airport in the North Coast because of the coming of the Lamu port that is under construction.
"Lamu port is being built. It will require an international airport nearby to facilitate faster movements of cargo and personnel. Malindi is the right place," he said.
He said Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) should take advantage of the upcoming Lamu port to relocate the Malindi airport to either Chakama or in Marereni area along the Malindi-Lamu highway.
During his tour of Malindi district on Sunday, Prime Minister Mr Raila Odinga touched on the issue saying the government supported the idea of building an international airport in the North Coast.
"An international airport in Malindi would expand business, allow direct flights from abroad and greatly increase the number of tourists which this area depends on," said the PM.
Talk about the airport begun more than two decades ago with KAA ruling out expansion on the current position.
More than 90 per cent of the 100.1 hectares of the airport land is occupied by squatters making expansion difficult.
Mr Mung'aro said ample land for the facility had been identified in Chakama.
Another possibility would be to relocate the airport to Marereni area along the Malindi-Lamu road which is also said to have enough land.
However, insiders say that the tourism sector and businessmen in Mombasa and the South Coast strongly oppose the plan to have an international airport in the North Coast which would drastically reduce business at the Moi International Airport (MIA) in Mombasa.
More than 60 per cent of tourists landing at MIA are destined for Malindi and the North Coast and the stakeholders fear losing business to Malindi, sources inside KAA revealed.
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