Conducting the media on a tour of the affected areas, the Malindi airport manager, Mr Walter Otieno Agong, said 200 squatters had been identified in the first phase of the exercise that begun on December 19.
"KAA won't compensate any squatter whose house or other structure will be demolished. Whoever built on this land was very much aware that this was KAA land. If anything, it is they who should compensate KAA," he said. The exercise is the first step in a Sh2.5 billion plan to expand the Malindi airport. Phase two of the exercise would involve identifying landlords and hundreds of squatters settled on the airport land.
Land acquisition on the northern part of the facility around Ziwa la Furunzi, Majengo Mapya, Mtangani and Kisumu Ndogo residential estates during phase two of the programme is expected to be a daunting task for the authority.
Some of the land is also occupied by public and private schools, mosques and churches.
"Phase one of the exercise will concentrate on runway 35, which includes the Approach Funnel. We have already marked 50 structures within the area due to be demolished soon," Mr Agong said.
Owners of the houses have already been notified of the intended demolition, he added. After demolishing the houses, the area would be fenced off before the start of the second phase of the exercise. This phase will affect hundreds of squatters.
Mr Agong said phase two of the exercise would also involve land acquisition by KAA. Most of the land was grabbed and sold to private individuals during the Kanu regime, Mr Agong said.
In phase one of the expansion, a new terminal building will be put up at a cost of Sh60 million. Runway 4 will also be rehabilitated.
Expansion of the facility that will allow bigger aircraft to land directly from Europe was long overdue.
Source: All Africa
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