Airstrip to boost local trade after Sh240m revamp

A light aircraft that belongs to Air Kenya on the runway of the completed Migori Airstrip on February 6, 2022. [Caleb Kingwara, Standard]

Lichota Airstrip in Migori County will be handling at least 200 passengers on a daily basis following its refurbishment that cost the Kenya Airport Authority Sh242 million.

Grace Odhiambo, a KAA official, said the revamped facility will also boost trade, including tourism, in the county and improve its economy.

"The airstrip is now complete and will be launched next month," Odhiambo said told The Standard.

The renovations which started in June 2020 were completed last year.

KAA Projects and Engineering Services officer Fred Odawo said the renovations were delayed because part of the 88 acres on which the airstrip sits was swampy.

The renovations were done in two phases. The first phase involved extending the then 1.1km runway to 1.2km. The runway was also expanded to 30 metres wide. 

In 2016, KAA recommended that the Migori airstrip be funded and rehabilitated to support the tourism circuit.

The airstrip was closed during the entire renovation period and this affected business in the region. 

Lichota airstrip, located about 8.3 kilometres from Migori town, is considered an important facility as it serves as a link between Kenya and Tanzania.

It has been expanded to allow it accommodate bigger aircraft and more passengers.

The improved airstrip is expected to unlock the economic potential of South Nyanza, officials said.

It has a modern apron, a taxing way, a terminal building, a patrol road, and a security fence.

The runway has been developed to bitumen standards and now has a pavement that would accommodate Code 1C aircraft.

The airstrip will come in handy for tourists heading to Masai Mara and Serengeti game parks as well as Thim Lich Ohinga, a renowned heritage archeological site in Migori.

“We expect that the facility will present a quick link to local and international holidaymakers heading to the various popular sites,” county minister for Trade and Tourism Sheila Ghati said.

KAA said the investment is targeting Tanzanian tourists visiting Kenya.