How Malindi runway can unlock Kenya's next chapter of growth

My late father once calmed my anger with a lesson that quietly shaped my public life. After I had complained at length about someone, he waited until I was done and asked a simple question: are you finished? When I nodded, he said everyone has four sides: front, back, left, and right.

No one is broken on all sides. If one side is difficult, another carries strength. Your task, he said, is to find the strongest side, honour it, and move forward without bitterness. Progress begins when we stop staring at weakness and start working with what is right. Kenya today faces plenty of criticism, much of it justified, but it is increasingly lacking perspective. We often loudly criticise what the government has not done and tend to overlook areas where consistent, serious progress is happening. One such area is aviation and tourism, especially the renewed focus on Malindi Airport as a gateway that could boost the entire coast.

I write as a humble participant in aviation, as someone who has made Malindi a second home, and as an Honorary Warden under Kenya Wildlife Service, observing visitors arrive for beaches, heritage, and wildlife, only to waste time and energy due to avoidable connection challenges.

I have been encouraged by the seriousness with which our institutions are approaching aviation as a development tool. The increasing focus on strengthening air connectivity between Europe and Kenya, and on unlocking Malindi as a direct leisure gateway, signals a government learning to link policy with livelihoods. This matters because access generates demand. Italy alone sent nearly one hundred thousand visitors to Kenya last year. That’s one Italian arrival every few minutes. Interest isn’t the issue. Friction is. Every additional connection, delay, or uncertainty quietly turns enthusiasm into hesitation. The case for Malindi is clear.

Tourism brought in over Sh400 billion for Kenya last year, supporting workers in hospitality, agriculture, transport, and culture. Behind that number are hotel staff, farmers, fishers, guides, drivers, artisans, and young people waiting for opportunity. Malindi does not need to compete with Nairobi. It should complement it as a peaceful, efficient leisure gateway. Visitors remember how they are treated, not the size of terminals. Direct access minimises waste, boosts confidence, and keeps opportunities alive on the coast.

The technical challenge is clear. Malindi’s runway, approximately 1.4km long, restricts aircraft size and direct flights. Extending it to meet international standards requires land, safety enhancements, and proper fencing. Past compensation estimates have reached into the billions and become more burdensome with each year of delay. This is the quiet hardship of infrastructure projects stalled by unresolved settlement and speculation. Kenya must be compassionate to genuine households, but it should never reward systems that benefit from obstructing national progress.

This moment demands engineering courage and policy innovation. If traditional expansion becomes too costly, aeronautical experts should carefully evaluate alternative runway alignments that reduce displacement while ensuring safety standards. If effective, costs decrease, timelines are shorter, and confidence is restored. Moving the airport should remain a last resort, not a cause for paralysis. Responsible nations expect engineers to provide solutions, not reasons to delay. The benefits go well beyond tourism.

A functional Malindi Airport boosts fisheries, horticulture, and regional trade, spreads growth outside Nairobi, creates skilled aviation jobs, and adds resilience with an alternative national hub. Direct arrivals eliminate unnecessary transfers, reduce emissions, and direct visitors through a gateway capable of sustainably supporting coastal marine and forest conservation.

This moment requires shared responsibility. Land issues must be resolved legally, speculation replaced with access, and national institutions aligned across tourism, transport, agriculture, and conservation. The message to partners must be clear. Kenya is ready to turn goodwill into results.

An airport is more than just concrete and lights. It symbolises jobs, dignity, and national readiness. When we focus on building upon what’s working instead of arguing over what isn’t, we can finally fulfill that promise. Think Green. Act Green.

www.kaluagreen.com