Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has given an update on the rehabilitation of Itembe Airstrip in Bomet and Kerenga Airstrip in Kericho, two facilities that have remained largely inactive for about three decades. Itembe is expected to be ready for aircraft operations by the end of this week, while works at Kerenga are targeted for completion within the next two to three months.
Highlights
- Itembe Airstrip is expected to complete tarmacking by the end of this week.
- The revived Bomet facility will support faster medical evacuations from Tenwek Hospital.
- Kerenga Airstrip in Kericho is expected to be completed within two to three months.
- Chirchir has urged Kenyans to embrace air travel as more airstrips are upgraded.
- Both facilities have been largely inactive for about 30 years.
Main Story
Itembe Airstrip Nears Completion
Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has announced that rehabilitation works at Itembe Airstrip in Bomet are nearing completion.
According to Chirchir, the tarmacking works are expected to be completed by the end of the week, paving the way for aircraft to begin landing at the facility.
The reopening is expected to improve air connectivity in the region after decades of limited use.
For residents, the development could also provide an important boost to movement, business and access to essential services.
Boost for Tenwek Hospital
One of the biggest expected benefits is improved access to emergency medical evacuation services at Tenwek Hospital.
Chirchir said the hospital is a major healthcare facility and has previously faced difficulties when patients needed to be transferred by air.
With an operational airstrip nearby, patients requiring specialised treatment elsewhere could potentially be moved more quickly when air evacuation is necessary.
The development could therefore make Itembe more than just a transport facility, particularly for emergency healthcare in Bomet and surrounding areas.
Kerenga Works Expected to Take Three Months
Chirchir also provided an update on the rehabilitation of Kerenga Airstrip in Kericho.
He said the project is expected to be completed within the next two to three months.
The CS revealed that he recently summoned the contractor to his office and pushed for the works to remain within the targeted timeline.
Once completed, Kerenga is expected to restore an air transport option that has been unavailable for many years.
Government Pushes Air Connectivity
The rehabilitation of Itembe and Kerenga forms part of a wider government push to improve access to air transport across the country.
Chirchir said the government has been developing and upgrading airstrips in almost every county as it seeks to make air travel more accessible to Kenyans.
The aim is to ensure that air transport is not limited to major cities and established airports, but also becomes more accessible to communities in other parts of the country.
For counties such as Bomet and Kericho, improved air connectivity could support tourism, healthcare, business travel and movement of people and goods.
From Dormant Facilities to New Opportunities
Both Itembe and Kerenga have reportedly remained largely inactive for about 30 years.
Their rehabilitation represents an effort to bring existing infrastructure back into productive use rather than leaving facilities that could support local economies dormant.
For communities around the two airstrips, the hope is that better connectivity will translate into more economic activity and easier access to services.
Chirchir attributed the long period of inactivity to previous leadership, while presenting the ongoing rehabilitation as part of the government’s broader infrastructure development programme.
As the two projects move towards completion, the focus will now shift to ensuring the facilities remain operational and deliver the connectivity that residents have been waiting for.
For communities that have waited decades to see dormant airstrips come back to life, the return of regular flights could mark the beginning of a new chapter in connectivity, healthcare and local economic growth.
