The Mokowe Airstrip in Mokowe Township has been abandoned and neglected by the national government for years and residents want to know why.
Mokowe town on the mainland in Lamu West is slowly positioning itself as the region’s economic and industrial hub with many of the state’s mega projects to be there.
The town is host to the Sh2.5 trillion Lamu port LAPSSET project and has continued to attract investors and entrepreneurs.
The town also houses the county headquarter moved from Lamu island two years back.
The buzz has seen traders and business people from all over Lamu shift base to the town which is they now see as the perfect platform to do business.
Residents said the expansion and rehabilitation of the airstrip will not only boost tourism but will also give uplift the county to handle mega projects and investments.
Township chairperson Yusuf Osman said the continued neglect of the airstrip is hurting business and giving the town a bad image.
He says many tourists have expressed interest in exploring the Lamu mainland but that has been impossible due to an unreliable transport.
Lamu only has one major airport on Manda Island.
Residents say it is not enough to handle the increased demand of investors, tourists and visitors seeking to explore the region for opportunities.
They have urged the government to expand the runway at the airstrip to accommodate bigger flights.
We need to show the world that we are ready to handle the likes of LAPSSET and Manda Airport alone isn’t close to enough, considering the expected inflow of people once operations commence.
"If the airstrip is functional, there will more tourists and investors coming into Mokowe and the town will grow. I am talking about socio-economic and industrial growth plus tourism,” Osman said.
(Edited by V. Graham)