Investigations are ongoing into Thursday’s fatal crash of an AMREF Flying Doctors air ambulance in Mwihoko, Kiambu County, which claimed six lives.
The Cessna Citation, registration 5Y-FDM, had departed Wilson Airport in Nairobi at around 2:30pm, bound for Hargeisa in northern Somalia on a medical assistance mission. Just three minutes after takeoff, the aircraft lost both radio and radar contact with Air Traffic Control before plunging into a residential building and bursting into flames.
Kiambu County Commissioner Henry Wafula confirmed the fatalities, saying they included all four on board, two crew members and two medical personnel, alongside two residents inside a house struck by the aircraft. Two other people on the ground were injured and remain in hospital.
AMREF Flying Doctors, in a statement, reiterated its condolences and pledged full cooperation with aviation authorities.
“Our immediate focus is on supporting those affected and their families during this difficult time,” said AMREF CEO Stephen Gitau.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority’s Air Accident Investigation Department is leading the probe, with assistance from security agencies and emergency responders. Eyewitnesses recalled hearing a loud explosion, followed by a fireball and thick smoke that engulfed the crash site.
Authorities are working to establish the cause of the tragedy and to support families of the victims.
