Sakaja proposes relocating Moi Airbase and Wilson Airport in Nairobi growth rethink
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Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has asked senators to reconsider the future of Moi Airbase in Eastleigh and Wilson Airport, arguing the city cannot keep relying on decades-old land-use decisions as housing demand and high-rise development press against aviation and security limits.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has called for a fresh look at relocating Moi Airbase in Eastleigh and at the long-term future of Wilson Airport, arguing that the capital cannot continue relying on land-use decisions made decades ago while its population, economic activity and demand for housing keep expanding.
Sakaja made the proposal while appearing before the Senate Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing, chaired by Senator Hamida Kibwana, where legislators questioned how Nairobi intends to manage competing demands for land, transport infrastructure and public safety. On the airbase he was direct: “If you ask me, it needs to be relocated,” warning that the concentration of civilians around the military installation could complicate security arrangements and describing the surrounding population as a potential human shield. Senator Mohamed Chute asked whether the county had engaged the national government on the idea.
Wilson Airport, which supports domestic air travel, tourism, pilot training and humanitarian operations, is already caught in a prolonged dispute over high-rise developments allegedly breaching protected aviation airspace. In March 2026, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Director General Emile Arao warned that unauthorised construction around the airport was forcing pilots to adjust flight patterns; in June, aviation officials said a survey had found 41 of 134 buildings assessed within a six-kilometre radius either exceeded permitted height limits or lacked the necessary aviation clearances, with South C, Nairobi West and the Lang’ata Road corridor among the affected areas.
The governor said the county intends to use its proposed Nairobi Vision 2050 framework to reassess land allocation, housing, transport, security and public amenities, pointing to the need for more recreational space and better public transport, including underground rail, bus rapid transit and intelligent traffic management. He suggested that portions of the airbase land could potentially support public amenities, including recreational facilities, if the relevant authorities agreed to reconsider its use.
No relocation has been approved. Neither the size of land that might be released nor its potential value has been established, and no budget, replacement site or implementation timetable exists in the reporting. The State Department for Aviation has meanwhile been pursuing a phased runway rehabilitation programme at Wilson Airport, and any move would require agreement between the county, the national government, the Kenya Defence Forces, the Kenya Airports Authority and aviation regulators.