Kenya: President Ruto announces airport renaming and highway project shifts

President William Ruto has announced plans to rename Kisumu International Airport to Raila Odinga International Airport. The President stated he is consulting with the Kisumu County government regarding the proposal, noting that the decision is made out of respect for the late former Prime Minister. Additionally, the 60,000-capacity Talanta Stadium has already been renamed in his honor.

In infrastructure developments, the Kenyan government has officially cancelled a long-stalled Ksh190 billion highway project intended to expand the Rironi-Mau Summit road. President Ruto explained that nine years of negotiations with French firms failed due to difficult conditions, leading the administration to pivot toward a new model involving the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).

Meanwhile, the Kajiado County Government has issued an ultimatum to Tata Magadi Chemicals Limited. Governor Joseph Ole Lenku demanded the company pay Ksh13 billion in outstanding land rates and return significant portions of land occupied by the firm to local residents for grazing. This follows the suspension of the company's operations at Lake Magadi and the establishment of a technical committee by the Mining Cabinet Secretary to investigate compliance issues.