Construction work for the long-awaited Narok International Airport has officially begun, Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina has confirmed.

Speaking during a recent site visit, Senator Kina said the contractor has completed 80 per cent of the structures that will house staff working on the project, adding that despite some setbacks, the project is steadily taking shape.

“Narok Airport will be international because the people who come to our county are not just local people. Today, Narok receives thousands of tourists. Narok is going to build the first international airport in the South Rift,” Kina said.

He urged Kenya Power to fast-track electricity connections to the site to ensure construction progresses without hitches.

The project, which is jointly funded by the national and county governments, is set to transform access to the world-renowned Masai Mara Game Reserve and boost Narok’s tourism-driven economy.

Masai Mara International Airport will be the eighth such facility in Kenya after Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Moi International Airport in Mombasa, Malindi Airport, Kisumu Airport, Eldoret Airport, Wajir International Airport and Kakuma Airport.

The facility will sit on 329 acres (133 hectares), 12 kilometres from Narok town and 79 kilometres from the Masai Mara’s Sekenani Gate.

On May 8, 2025, President William Ruto presided over the ground-breaking ceremony and pledged to have the airport operational by March 2026. He said the investment would open up Narok to new business opportunities and uplift local people’ livelihoods.

“The county and national governments will share the cost equally. The move to construct an airport in Narok will bolster tourism and business in the county, ultimately rolling back extreme poverty,” the president said during the launch.

The first phase of construction involves upgrading the existing murram airstrip into a 1.5-kilometre asphalt runway, 30 metres wide, complete with an apron and taxiways.

Future expansion will extend the runway to 1.8 kilometres, making the facility capable of handling large aircraft.

Once complete, Narok International Airport will be the first international aviation hub in the South Rift, cementing the county’s status as a gateway to Maasai Mara.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Lamech Willy