Kisumu: Kenya Airways has announced additional flights and aircraft upgrades on its Kisumu route, to accommodate the surge in passengers travelling to the Lakeside City, for the final farewell for former Prime Minister, Raila Amolo Odinga.
According to Kenya News Agency, the National Carrier stated it had increased flight frequency to Kisumu over the weekend, in response to the high travel demand, ahead of Raila’s burial in Bondo, Siaya County on Sunday. ‘We’ve increased our flight frequency to Kisumu over the weekend, to accommodate the high travel demand,’ the airline said in a post on its official ‘X’ account.
Kenya Airways confirmed that the additional flights will be KQ656, expected to depart at 13:30 HRS and KQ658, which is expected to depart at 1900 HRS on Saturday, 18 October. Yesterday, the National Carrier introduced flight KQ656 (13:30 HRS) in response to the high number of passengers plying the route.
Kenya Airways also confirmed that it had upgraded several flights to Boeing 737s to handle the surge in travellers expected on Sunday, October 19. The upgraded flights include KQ654, KQ670 and KQ671, all bound for Kisumu.
Kisumu International Airport is a beehive of activities, with security heightened as visitors from around the world, are expected to land at the Airport, ahead of the burial. The surge in visitors has caused a major accommodation crunch in Kisumu, with most hotels and short-stay facilities, already fully booked.
According to Jackson Otieno, who manages a chain of Kisumu city’s hospitality industry, has been overwhelmed since Thursday. ‘All our units were booked early, and I’m now receiving referrals from major hotels that are also struggling to accommodate the high number of guests,’ he said.
Many mourners have been forced to seek accommodation in neighbouring towns such as Ahero, Maseno and Kakamega, as thousands flock to the City to bid farewell to the veteran politician. Meanwhile, public viewing of Mr. Odinga’s body continues at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Mamboleo, where thousands have been lining up to pay their last respects.
The viewing exercise is scheduled to end at 3 pm, after which the body will be airlifted to his Bondo home in Siaya County for burial on Sunday. Kisumu, now a sea of humanity draped in grief and tribute, has become the focal point of a historic farewell, one that marks the final journey of a leader whose name has been synonymous with Kenya’s democratic transition.