First Commercial Flight From Nairobi To Kakamega Launched

The first commercial flight from Nairobi to Kakamega town was launched on Wednesday by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who also guaranteed government assistance for the regional aviation sector.

Less than a week after President William Ruto dedicated the recently restored Kakamega Airstrip last Friday, the DP boarded the first Skyward Express to the town in Western Kenya at Wilson Airport in Nairobi.

The DP affirmed the commitment of the Kenya Kwanza government to keep enhancing the business environment of the nation while praising the expanding engagement with the private sector, especially airline operators.

He said that the flights to the town had been requested by Western area officials for a considerable amount of time, and that it had only taken the administration one week to make them a reality.

“This new policy of continuous engagement is what is going to make things move in this country. The leaders of Western Kenya have been asking for this for many years but were not given an ear. This is happening less than a week after the President listened to them,” said the DP.

He was accompanied on the Wednesday tour by representatives from the Western region and the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Kipchumba Murkomen.

The DP reported that the President had contacted Skyward to inquire about visiting the area by plane following the airstrip's commissioning.

The Deputy President said the flight will make it simple for travelers and entrepreneurs to go between the town and the metropolis while recalling the difficulties he encountered when visiting the area in the past when serving as a District Officer in Kakamega.

He said the Kenya Kwanza administration is keen to enable air transport across most counties to make it easy for people to do business and to open up more tourism opportunities.

“This will enable Kenyans to move faster and save time for other productive engagements,” he added.

The new air route, according to the Transport CS, demonstrated the nation's economic prosperity in spite of prior difficulties.