JKIA Overhaul Long Overdue Says Raila
ODM Party leader Raila Odinga making his remarks during a retreat for party delegates drawn from the coast region held at PrideInn Hotel in Mombasa county.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga said an overhaul at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport [JKIA] is long over due.
He insisted the famous JKIA required urgent modernization and expansion to keep up with the demands.
“I am aware that for several years now the airport facility has been in need of an overhaul and an upgrade,” he disclosed.
Raila added this would bring it at par with new airports being developed by neighboring countries.
He was briefing the media on the controversial proposed infrastructure development through Public Private Partnership [PPP] of the facility at a Mombasa hotel.
The former Prime Minister told the media the facility currently handles about 7.5 million passengers annually.
Raila, who is also Azimio la Umoja coalition leader, however said that four million of the passengers use the facility’s temporary tented structures.
He argued that in the last financial year JKIA handled 8.5 million passengers meaning it has already optimized its passenger capacity.
“The facility’s runway that is designed for 35 movements per hour is already doing 21 movements and is set to operate full capacity by 2028,” he said.
The former PM said in his speech that there are misgivings which have also resulted in a lot of misinformation regarding the investors who have made their Public Private Partnership [PPP] proposals.
Raila told the media he had a chance to interact with PPP proposers in question to confirm as he has a duty to know them.
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