Kenya is planning to shut down all airstrips currently operating in the Maasai Mara National reserve from next year.
The move, according to the reports from Nairobi, is set to take effect in 12 months’ time, that is from May 2026 henceforth.
This therefore will force tourists to undertake a more than 40 kilometers drive from the nearest airport which is currently being constructed in Narok Town and set to be ready by March 2026.
The Drive from the proposed new Narok Airport to Masai Mara will be part of the tourism package.
Between April and May 2026, the proposed Narok International Terminal, under construction is expected to be accomplished.
The new terminal is where tourist planes will be landing, directly from overseas and other parts of Kenya, or East Africa and from there visitors are expected to drive directly into the conservancy, through the Sekenani entry gate.
It is still not known for sure why Maasai Mara is deleting airstrips located within the busy Game Reserve, as they may come in handy during rescue or medical evacuation, but some people say it is one of the ongoing efforts to reclaim the natural growth of the rather overcrowded tourist site.
The Wildlife-filled National Reserve which directly borders Serengeti National Park, south of the border in Tanzania, is served by a network of all-weather gravel airstrips.
Keekorok airstrip, at one time the only tarmac airstrip in the park and now converted to a high standard gravel runway, along with Serena Airstrip, are both among the primary and most well-known airfields in the reserve.
Now it seems like both aerodromes will be replaced by a single international airport located in Narok, outside the Game Reserve.
During the recent economic forum which took place in Narok, Kenya’s President Wiiliam Ruto declared the commitment of his government to bolstering tourism in the country by constructing an international airport to ease access to the Maasai Mara.
President Ruto explained that plans were already underway to ensure the airport, to be constructed at the cost of USD 11 Million ​(Ksh 1.4 billion) is completed within a year, with both the county government and national government contributing Ksh 700 million (USD 505,000) each for the project.