Narok leaders reject plans for International Airport on land tied to Uhuru
Ng’eno, while expressing his objections to the airport’s proposed location, accused the former president of allegedly steering the project toward his land for what he termed as personal benefit.
A section of leaders from Narok have voiced their disapproval of the government's plan to establish an international airport on a parcel of land reportedly associated with former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Speaking to locals in Narok West Constituency, the group—spearheaded by Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno—argued that such a project should be undertaken on publicly owned land, not on what they claimed to be private property.
Ng’eno, while expressing his objections to the airport’s proposed location, accused the former president of allegedly steering the project toward his land for what he termed as personal benefit.
He also claimed that a group of affluent Kenyans were exploiting the absence of an airport in the region by building makeshift airstrips to attract tourists for their personal gain.
The MP further called on Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu to step in and ensure the airport is constructed on public land, emphasizing that such a project would bring significant benefits to the county through increased tourism.
"Former President Uhuru Kenyatta was initially asked to build an airport here in Narok to boost tourism, but instead, he decided to place it on his private land in Kilgoris. We cannot allow an airport to be built on someone's land for their personal interests, such as smuggling gold and ivory," Ng’eno was quoted saying by Citizen TV.
He continued, "Governor, if the airport is built here, make sure no planes land in the Maasai Mara. Why should planes be landing there? Close all those airstrips so that our children can have the opportunity to find jobs."
Governor Ole Ntutu, while addressing the issue, reassured the residents that he had already reached out to President William Ruto regarding the airport project, and the president had given a favorable response.
Ntutu emphasized that, contrary to previous plans, the airport would now be constructed on public land to benefit the people of Narok. He also urged the locals to rally behind President Ruto during his ongoing development tour of the region.
"We do not want to see any other type of politics here. The politics we want is focused on development. If anyone wants to engage in political discussions, they should wait until 2027," Ntutu stated.
The construction of the international airport is scheduled to be officially launched by President Ruto at the end of this month during his development tour of Narok.
President Ruto is set to embark on his development tour from April 28 to April 29, during which he is expected to officially launch the construction of the international airport aimed at boosting tourism in the Maasai Mara.