Kisumu’s Kenya Airports Authority Acting Managing Director Yatich Kangugo has revealed that national government is to invest more than Sh3.5 billion to unlock Kisumu International Airport for business opportunities.
Speaking during a breakfast meeting at the Kisumu Airport dubbed Unpacking business opportunities at Kisumu International Airport, Director Kangugo said that the project will involve setting up International Four Star called Best Western Hotel, Shopping Mall and Petrol station.
"When designing the business strategy we realised that Kisumu had a lot of potential in the cargo therefore the decision to extend another 300 metres to allow bigger planes to land and take off," said Kangugo adding that the plan is to open up Kisumu City for changes in terms of investment plans.
He said that they want to focus on areas such as office parks, hangers which will provide maintenance for aircraft particularly for the East African Region, financial institutions and hotels.
Kangugo added, “Remember Kisumu is very strategically located in the great lakes, if we can position Kisumu then all maintenance aircrafts can fly from Congo and Rwanda for maintenance and go back."
He urged the County government of Kisumu to assist in mobilising the transport sector to help improve the uptake, which he says is low therefore the need to stimulate the market to pull investment opportunities in the City.