Nairobi, April 20 -- A standoff has emerged in Turkana County as residents and civil society groups oppose government plans for a new airport in Kangatotha village, arguing that reviving the defunct Lokichoggio Airport is a cheaper and more strategic alternative.

Plans by the National Government to begin acquiring 1,500 hectares of land in Kangatotha, Turkana Central Sub-county, for an ambitious international airport project have drawn sharp criticism from civil society groups and local residents. They argue the move overlooks longstanding calls to rehabilitate the existing Lokichoggio Airport.

Strategically located at the tri-border junction linking Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan, Lokichoggio Airport serving pastoral communities includi...