Nairobi Mum Mourns Daughter Killed in Mwihoko Air Crash While Preparing Lunch at Home

A devastating air accident near Nairobi unfolded on Friday afternoon when an African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) air ambulance crashed into a residential property, resulting in the deaths of six individuals and the destruction of a family home. 

The tragedy has ignited urgent discussions regarding aviation safety and the proximity of residential areas to flight paths. The aircraft, a Cessna Citation XLS operated as part of AMREF’s Flying Doctors programme, departed Wilson Airport at 2:17 pm en route to Hargeisa, Somalia. According to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), communication with the aircraft was lost just three minutes after take-off. Moments later, the plane crashed in Mwihoko, erupting in flames on impact.

Eyewitness accounts detail the aircraft flying at an unusually low altitude before the catastrophic collision. Residents swiftly mobilised, attempting to rescue those trapped, while emergency services, including firefighters from Ruiru and military personnel, battled the ensuing blaze. The scale of the wreckage across the compound indicated the severity of the impact.

The fatalities included the aircraft's two crew members and two medical personnel, along with two individuals on the ground. Among those killed on the ground was the daughter of Mercy Nafula, a single mother who had left her children at home to run errands. Nafula recounted that her daughter had just returned from the salon and was preparing lunch for her siblings when the crash occurred.

"I am lost for words... I do not know where to begin because I have lost everything," said Nafula, visibly distressed. 

She appealed for assistance to cover her daughter's burial expenses and to recover from the loss of her home, belongings, and the stock for her small business, including essential documents. AMREF has issued a statement confirming the crash and pledging full cooperation with aviation authorities and emergency responders. The KCAA has initiated a formal investigation, led by its Air Accident Investigation Department in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and security agencies, to ascertain the cause of the incident.