[7] The Wajir Airport was built by an Israeli construction Company HZ between 1977 and 1978, as a military airbase for the Kenya Air Force.

In November 2006, the Kenyan government decided to suspend direct scheduled flights to and from Somalia owing to security concerns vis-a-vis the then existing Islamic Courts Union.

Following pressure by politically influential Somali traders to resume the cargo flights, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) lifted its suspension a few months later in August 2007.

[2] The Kenyan authorities subsequently outsourced the construction of a new terminal in the airport and assigned KCAA, customs, immigration and security officials to operate in the facility.

An army camp is located on the western side of the terminal building, with an air force compound approximately 0.5 kilometres (500 m), south of the perimeter fence.