NAROK, Kenya – A group of Narok leaders has vowed to oppose the construction of a proposed international airport on land allegedly linked to former President Uhuru Kenyatta in the Maasai Mara.
The leaders, speaking in Siana Ward, Narok West Constituency, expressed their concern over the plan to build the airport on private land and instead called for the project to be relocated to public land within the county.
The construction of the airport is scheduled to be launched by President William Ruto at the end of the month during his development tour of Narok.
However, local leaders are adamant that the airport should not be built on private property, particularly in an area linked to the former president, as they believe it would limit public access and fail to benefit the local population.
“We want, when the President visits, for leaders to put politics aside and allow the President to bring development. The time for politics will come. We have said President Ruto is ten years without a break because we can see the work he is doing here in Narok,” said Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu, urging county leaders to focus on securing more development projects during the presidential visit.
MP Johana Ng’eno of Emurua Dikir also voiced strong opposition to the proposed site, insisting that Narok’s youth should be the primary beneficiaries of the project through employment opportunities.
“We are saying, as Narok leaders, we will not allow an international airport to be built on land belonging to an individual. We want it to be built here in Narok so that our youth can get jobs,” Ng’eno remarked.
The proposed airport is seen as a major development opportunity for Narok County, but the dispute over the land highlights the tensions surrounding land ownership and the allocation of public resources for infrastructure projects.
The leaders’ opposition to the airport site underscores their desire to ensure that local communities are the primary beneficiaries of large-scale development projects.
