MP Wants Safety Probe Into Govt Choppers After Kericho Helicopter Crash

Kericho Woman Representative Beatrice Kemei has urged Parliament to investigate helicopter safety across Kenya following the 12 October crash of a Kenya Forest Service aircraft in Kericho.

Speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Kemei asked the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure to examine the circumstances surrounding the accident and assess safety standards across the country’s helicopter operations. The helicopter crashed during take-off, but Environment Principal Secretary Festus Ng’eno and four other occupants escaped without injury. Kemei said the incident should prompt a wider investigation into aircraft maintenance, operational procedures and regulatory oversight.

She called for an examination of possible mechanical faults, operational errors and other technical problems that may have contributed to the crash. She also urged the committee to establish whether the aircraft had experienced difficulties before the incident and whether any warning signs had been overlooked.

As part of the proposed inquiry, Kemei wants the committee to review the helicopter’s maintenance records and determine its condition before the flight. The review would cover previous inspections, unresolved technical issues and the validity of the required certifications and approvals.

The committee would also examine the flight crew’s qualifications and compliance with aviation regulations to establish whether all applicable safety requirements had been met. Beyond the Kericho crash, Kemei has called for a report on helicopter accidents recorded in Kenya in recent years. 

The report would detail confirmed and suspected causes, findings from investigations conducted by aviation authorities and recurring safety concerns identified across different incidents. The proposed review comes after several fatal aviation accidents involving prominent figures. 

In February, a helicopter crash killed former Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno. In August, another crash in Ecuador killed intelligence chief Michele Sensi-Contugi, his wife and five other people.

A previous helicopter disaster in Samburu County, which claimed several lives, has also featured in wider discussions about aviation safety in Kenya. Kemei is seeking an explanation from the government on measures being taken to improve accountability in the aviation sector. 

She wants the review to consider action against negligence and regulatory failures, alongside reforms to strengthen oversight and compliance with safety standards.