Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

BUSINESS people as well as horticultural farmers in Western Kenya have good reasons to smile for the Kisumu Airport is complete and ready to handle more passengers and cargoes.

The Kshs 3.3 billion new facilities are ready for use. The extended Kisumu Airport now confirmed that the lakeside city is the true gate away to East Africa.

The horticultural farmers and exporters now stand to benefit a great deal because the facility will now offer them quick aerial shipment of their products to any destination in the world.

THE Kisumu Airport manager Mr Joseph Okumu told newsmen that the airport is now ready to welcome receive and see big planes.

”We have already shifted our operations to the new terminal. All the airlines currently flying Kisumu route have been allocated new offices at the new terminal. There are still more spaces for new airlines expected to come.”

The Kisumu Airport whose upgrading work started in 2008 will now be able to accommodate big planes like the giant Boeing 737.

The new facility boast modern control tower and terminal with several lounges for arrivals and departure, cargo handling facilities, the passengers cafeteria, VIP lounge and offices. The airport will also later this month, have new international departure and landing facilities.

The manager revealed that the terminal facility is already attracting inquiries from airlines keen on using Kisumu route to international destinations.

He further disclosed that direct flight from Johannesburg in South Africa will soon be operational. Currently the airport has three international routes which are operational. These include Kisumu-Entebbe, Kisumu -Musoma, Kisumu-Mwanza and Kisumu -Addis Ababa.

The completion of the Kisumu Airport now makes it Kenya’s fourth international airport after Nairobi’s Jommo Kenyatta International airport , Moi International Airport at Mombasa and Eldoret international airport at Eldoret.

Business people in Kisumu and its environs have expressed their gratefulness and hoped the expanded facility will now opens the way for investors and particularly the revival of the forty five year old sleeping Western Kenya Tourist Circuit, which was launched in 1967, but which has remained in the drawing board ever since.

Currently fish and flowers from the Western Kenya regions are transported by road to Nairobi resulting in many losses in terms of time lost, wastage and added transportation costs.

For the much expected improvement in tourists visiting the region, the business community in Kisumu Town have successfully put up dozens of medium sizes luxury hotels making he City to be self-sufficiency in hotels.

Apart from the Imperial, Sunset and New Kisumu Hotels, there are several new facilities such as the Great Lakes Hotel, Kisumu City Royals.Lakers,Vunduba, Lakeview. There are close to seven new medium size hotels led by Kisumu Milimani Resort and others ready to supplement the hotel bed accommodation in the town.

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