Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to join you for the official opening of the expanded Kisumu International Airport as well as the groundbreaking ceremony for the rehabilitation of the Nyamasaria- Kisian Road.

These two projects are important, not only for the residents of Kisumu County and the surrounding areas but also to our country and region as a whole.

The first phase of the Kisumu Airport upgrading project has been implemented at a cost of about 3 billion shillings. The completion of Phase One paves way for Phase Two of the project. This phase will include the construction of a parallel taxiway, cargo apron and associated facilities. I am glad that the Government has already approved 1.9 billion Shillings for the implementation of Phase Two.
The successful upgrading of the Kisumu Airport will enhance its capacity to handle increased air traffic especially within the East African Community and internationally. The largest type of passenger and cargo aircraft will now be able to land at this Airport. This presents enormous opportunities for trade and investments.
I call upon entrepreneurs engaged in the import and export business to explore new avenues of business from this part of the country so as to attract international cargo carriers.
In the same vein, I encourage stakeholders in the tourism sector to aggressively market tourist destinations such as Rusinga Island and Kakamega Forest so as to attract increased domestic and international tourists. These efforts will go a long way in improving the economic and social welfare of the residents of this area.
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Government has put emphasis on the development of various modes of transport such as roads, aviation, maritime transport and rail in order to spur economic activities in the entire country.

With regard to air transport, we appreciate that aviation remains a strategic industry in the global economy as it plays the critical role of providing quick transportation of people and goods.

It is for this reason that the Government has put emphasis on the development of aviation infrastructure in our country. Indeed, the expansion of facilities at Kisumu International Airport is part of an Airport Infrastructure improvement programme.

The other project we are launching today entails rehabilitation and reconstruction of a length of 33 kilometres around and within Kisumu City at a cost of about 6 billion shillings. When the project is complete, it will ease movement of vehicle traffic in and out of Kisumu City.
Moreover, construction of the Kisumu Bypass road will enable traffic to Busia and the neighbouring countries avoid the highly trafficked city roads thus reducing congestion in Kisumu City.

I am confident that this project, together with several others being implemented by the government such as the expansion of the airport, improvement of the road network as well as electrification of fish landing sites, will create a more conducive environment for doing business.

I wish to challenge residents of this region to take advantage of the investments we are making. In particular I wish to see increased production so that the expanded airports and improved roads can be used to better the lives of the people.

Improved infrastructure is meant to connect producers to markets. Our vision is to make Kisumu the major hub of the larger Lake Victoria Basin region. Indeed, Kisumu has the potential to be the entry point of trade and investments in the entire region. However, residents need to do much more to take advantage of the available opportunities.

In conclusion I wish to thank all our development partners who continue to assist us on these projects. I especially commend the World Bank for its valuable support on the Northern Corridor projects.

With these few remarks, it is now my pleasure to declare the newly expanded Kisumu International Airport officially open and also to launch the rehabilitation of the Nyamasaria-Kisian Road.

Thank you and God bless you all.