Lamu 10th November 2016 – Kenya Airports Authority is for the 10th year running sponsoring the annual Lamu Cultural Festival. The event, which is running from the 10th to the 13th of November, seeks to celebrate the unique heritage of the Lamu archipelago. The annual festival offers a fascinating insight into life on the island.

This year, KAA has sponsored the Donkey race at a tune of KShs. 200,000. Scheduled flights landing at Manda Airstrip in the island are in full capacity as visitors throng the region for the festival. The airstrip’s acting Officer in Charge, Mr. Ali Godana noted that the airstrip records over 400 passengers daily with efforts in place to increase it’s capacity.

“We have recently extended our runway from 1 to 2 Kilometers to allow larger aircraft to land at the island and in turn boost tourism in the region.” Said Mr. Godana.

Skyward Express, which is a domestic airline, is set to join Jambo Jet, Fly540, Air Kenya Express and Fly Sax with daily scheduled flights to Lamu as from next month.

Apart from the Lamu Cultural Festival, KAA has also in past supported the island’s Maulidi Festival, a celebration of both the past and the future, and the beliefs and traditions that are the heart and soul of the community. In a bid to give back to the island’s community, the authority through its CSR program, has also supported the Lamu county government in a lighting project that saw 100 street lights put up at the island’s seafront.

Lamu Cultural Festival is a vibrant display of island life in East Africa’s oldest town. The coastal settlement is listed by UNESCO as a prestigious World Heritage site and is one of the original Swahili settlements along coastal East Africa with a unique heritage dating back over 700 years.