It all started in 2019 when the former governor, Lee Kinyanjui, announced that the Lanet airstrip, which had previously served the military, would be expanded and converted into an airport.

Six years on, Lanet Airport remains what Gen Z would call 'story za jaba'. Mentioning the Lanet Airport evokes feelings of anger, sadness and disappointment among the residents of Nakuru. This is because the airport has been promised for so long that even the residents themselves have given up on it.

In a Facebook post dated July 12, 2019, Lee Kinyanjui hinted that construction of the airport would begin at the end of that year. Groundbreaking for the first phase of the Sh3 billion Lanet Airport upgrade project took place in December 2020. The site was handed over to the contractor in January 2021, and the project commenced on February 23, 2021.

The contract period was set at 18 months and the completion date was scheduled for August 22, 2022. The first phase of the project involved upgrading the 1.7 km long military runway at the 81 Tank Battalion Barracks in Lanet to 3.61 km to accommodate larger aircraft.

When Nakuru achieved city status on December 2022, demand for an airport grew exponentially, with critics arguing that Nakuru is the only Kenyan city without an airport. One might have expected this to prompt a sense of urgency among the relevant authorities; however, progress continued at a slow pace.

During the campaign period, Lee Kinyanjui promised to fast-track the airport's completion if he was re-elected for a second term.

However, the people of Nakuru did not share his vision, and so Susan Kihika came in. Construction work at Lanet Airport ground to a halt as she took charge of leadership in the county. 2022 and 2023 came and went, and there was still no clear way forward regarding the airport. By 2024, nobody even remembered that an airport was supposed to be under construction.

Then, on July 11, 2025 during a consultative meeting with the President at State House in Nairobi, Susan Kihika led a delegation from Nakuru County to discuss the stalled Lanet Airport project. The President pledged his support towards its completion. This reignited the conversation and got people talking again.

The business community, in particular, lamented the losses they had incurred due to the lack of this important infrastructure, and pressure was again piled on the government to fast-track construction and completion of the airport.

On October 29, during a closed-door meeting at Nakuru State House with regional elected and opinion leaders, the president reaffirmed his commitment to completing the airport.

"We agreed to build an airport in Lanet, and it will be divided into two parts: one for civilians and one for the defence forces. The project stalled, but we have allocated funding, and in February 2026 I will come and restart the work,” he said.

For those who have been following the construction of the airport closely, this situation feels like déjà vu. The site was handed over to the contractor in January 2021 and work began on February. As the contract period was set at 18 months, it conveniently coincided with the election period.

Now, the project is claimed to resume in February 2026. Although the completion date is uncertain, it seems as though history is set to repeat itself.

Six years, many promises and still no airport in Nakuru

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Bret Sanya