AMREF Flying Doctors has paid an emotional tribute to four of its members who died in the tragic Mwihoko aircraft crash on August 7, 2025, describing them as devoted professionals and selfless humanitarians.
The victims two crew members and two medical personnel were identified as Captain Muthuka Munuve, Captain Brian Kimani Miaro, Dr. Charles Mugo Njoroge, and Flight Nurse Jane Rispah Aluoch Omusula.
Capt. Munuve had served with AMREF Flying Doctors for six years and nine months. As a captain and check pilot qualified on both the Cessna Citation XLS and the Pilatus PC-12, he logged over 10,000 flight hours. Colleagues remember him for his calm precision, commitment to safety, and outstanding leadership.
Capt. Kimani, who had served for three years and nine months, was an instructor captain on the Pilatus PC-12 and was transitioning to become a check pilot. With more than 5,800 flight hours, he was admired for his professionalism, skill, and dedication to excellence.
Dr. Njoroge, a medical doctor with over seven years of service, was known for bringing hope and healing to patients in their most critical moments, leaving a lasting impression on all he treated. Omusula, who served as an emergency flight nurse for four years and eight months, was celebrated for her compassion, courage, and ability to remain steady under immense pressure.
AMREF Flying Doctors CEO Stephen Gitau described the loss as “immense,” saying, “These were not just professionals; they were heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to humanity.”
The ill-fated Cessna Citation XLS, tail number 5Y-FDM, had departed Wilson Airport for Hargeisa, Somalia, but crashed minutes later into a residential building in Mwihoko, Kiambu County. All four crew members on board and two people on the ground lost their lives.
Aviation authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. AMREF Flying Doctors has appealed to residents who may have come across missing components of the aircraft’s Flight Data Recorder to return them, stressing their importance in determining the cause of the tragedy.
The organisation continues to provide support to the bereaved families as the aviation and medical community mourns the loss of four remarkable lives dedicated to saving others.
