Wilson Airport, East Africa’s busiest general aviation hub, is in trouble. Beneath the constant hum of 120,000 yearly aeroplanes conducting training flights, commercial departures, and safari charters lies a facility struggling with decay, congestion, and systemic failures that have aviation stakeholders deeply worried.

The physical state of Wilson Airport tells a story of neglect. A multi-sectoral technical committee’s report from late 2023 exposed the “sorry state” of Kenya’s major airports, including Wilson, finding “defective and inadequate infrastructure and electro-mechanical facilities” .