A light Aircraft from AMREF crashed into a residential building in Mwihoko, Ruiru, on Wednesday afternoon, killing six people, including two doctors, two nurses, and two civilians who were inside the house.
The tragic accident occurred shortly after 2 PM near Mwihoko Secondary School, sending shockwaves through the densely populated neighbourhood.
According to aviation authorities, the aircraft had departed from Wilson Airport in Nairobi and was en route to Hargeisa, Somaliland, carrying four people on board.
Contact with the plane was lost just 11 minutes after takeoff. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft catch fire mid-air before plunging into the rental home.
Emergency response teams from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), AMREF, police, and local residents quickly responded to the crash. On arrival, they were met with mangled wreckage buried under debris and soil, with thick smoke rising from the scene. Despite the devastation, two survivors — a man and a young child — were miraculously rescued from the rubble and rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) confirmed the fatalities and stated that the Aircraft Accident Investigations Department had deployed a team to the crash site. Preliminary investigations suggest the possibility of a mechanical failure or onboard fire as the cause of the accident.
Residents of Mwihoko were left in shock, with many describing the scene as horrifying. The affected house was completely destroyed, and nearby homes also sustained damage.
Authorities have cordoned off the area as investigations continue. The identities of the victims are yet to be officially released, pending notification of next of kin.
These incidents serve as a grim reminder of the urgent need for stringent aviation safety measures, especially for light aircraft operating in busy air corridors.