This archive report was first published on 5 January 2022.
Kenya Airways is expanding its cargo services to include fresh produce from Kisumu International Airport, with the first shipment set to take off on January 8, 2022.
According to Valentine Muruli, the airline's head of quality control, the airline has successfully completed a test run of the shipment on Tuesday, paving the way for the inaugural flight.
"Just assure everyone in Kenya that the airline is committed and ready to open up Kisumu for cargo," Muruli said, adding that the airline had to think innovatively to utilize its aircraft capacity during the pandemic.
The airline will work closely with government agencies, including the Kenya Revenue Authority, Ministry of Health, and Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS), to ensure that the exported produce meets all the required standards.
Chairman of Kisumu Lakefront Development Corporation (KLDC) Edward Ouko assured that the region's farmers are ready to start exporting fresh produce, with a ready market waiting for them.
"We are all here as the whole institutions of government to ensure that on the 8th, anything that will leave here will be quality assured," Ouko said.
