President William Ruto has announced that construction of the Suneka Airport in Kisii County will begin on April 15, with him personally conducting the groundbreaking. The Ksh400 million project will upgrade the existing airstrip to enable commercial flights and boost economic growth in the Nyanza region.
President William Ruto spoke during a three-day development tour in Kitutu Chache, Kisii County, on April 13. He stated, “The day after tomorrow I will come here personally to do a groundbreaking of the Suneka Airport, which has been stalled for many years.”
The president confirmed the project will take eight months to complete and that his government has secured the funds. “At the time we did not have the money for the project. Right now we have the money to kickstart the project, so that the people of Kisii can have an easy time traversing to different parts of the country and the world,” Ruto added.
The Suneka Airport will upgrade the existing airstrip to full commercial standards, including runway expansion and facility modernisation. Previously, the government sought a new site but land acquisition challenges led to renovating the current facility.
The project dates back to former President Uhuru Kenyatta's tenure, when Kisii Governor James Ongwae presented a memorandum for modernisation. Several aviation companies had approached the Kisii County Government for management rights following a national feasibility study.
