Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and the Ministry of Roads and Transport are formulating an aviation policy to guide the management and operations of airports and airstrips.
In a report presented to the Senate Standing Committee on Roads, Transport and Housing, KAA said economically viable airstrips will be brought under the authority’s airports system.
“Strategic and non-viable airstrips will be managed by the Ministry of Interior,” KAA revealed.
KAA further said the national government will fund operations in all non-commercial viable airstrips in terms of infrastructure and maintenance of the same.
The report highlighted the state of infrastructure at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Kisumu International Airport where roofs leaked and flooding occurred at the terminals recently
KAA said JKIA experienced leakages in terminal buildings; Terminal 1A, T1B, T1C, T1D and T1E while at Kisumu International Airport, the topography is such that the ground slopes towards the Terminal Building and surface runoff water found its way inside.
The authority added that the roof of the Terminal Building at Kisumu International Airport also experiences water ingress.
Last week, a video emerged of leaking roofs at JKIA, the country’s main airport.
KAA managing director Henry Ogoye said the airport has suffered inadequate facility and infrastructure capacity upgrades in the last 10 years.
“Even temporary interventions became permanent solutions hence the current state of affairs in service disruptions,” he said.
He said the government has commenced the process of addressing infrastructure development of the facility.
Ogoye said the programme will cover the expansion of the passenger terminal, runway capacity and provision of additional aircraft parking bays beginning the Financial Year 2023/2024.
In the video shared widely on social media, rainwater was seen pouring on the JKIA foyers and hallways from the terminal roofs as travellers queued to either have their luggage checked or book tickets.
KAA also faced criticism after its management announced that it took 20 minutes to restore power following a nationwide blackout that hit Kenya for a few hours on November 11, 2023.
On August 25, JKIA faced a blackout despite having power backup generators.
Source: The start