Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) says the Sh 5.6 billion expansion of the Malindi International Airport will go on despite protests from squatters living on a 25 hectare earmarked for the first phase of the project.
Airport manager Walter Agong said the expansion was long overdue and warned the squatters against politicizing the expansion.
“The airport expansion project shall proceed in Malindi and not Lango Baya. The surveyors will help us in mapping, topography and establish those living on the land earmarked for the airport expansion,” he said.
However, the squatters accused KAA of not involving them in the acquisition process and trying to hurry the project in total disregard of land ownership disputes pending in court.
“We are key stakeholders in this project and we must be involved. They have brought in land surveyors without our consents and we are saying this process must be stopped so that we sort out issues of land ownership first,” said chairman of Malindi Airport Residents Association Peter Mungai.
They claimed that the government has already brought land surveyors on site at Kwachocha, Kisumu Ndogo, Majengo Mapya and Furunzi areas without their consent.
Mungai said some parcels of the land earmarked for expansion at Kisumu Ndogo have ownership cases still pending at Malindi High court and the expansion program was being done without the government having to establish the original owner of the land.
He said that it could be wise if the government could stop the project and await for the outcome of the cases in court.