The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) will provide free DNA testing services to assist in identifying victims of the recent AMREF Flying Doctors aircraft crash that claimed six lives.
The Cessna Citation XLS (registration 5Y-FDM) went down on Thursday shortly after take-off from Wilson Airport, killing all four crew members on board and two people on the ground.
In a statement on Monday, KEMRI Director General Dr Elijah Songok expressed solidarity with the bereaved families, saying the decision to waive testing fees was intended to ease their burden and hasten the identification process.
“We are more than happy to offer our support, with the hope that it will help bring closure to the bereaved during this difficult period,” said Dr Songok, adding that the institute’s facilities and experts had been mobilised immediately.
AMREF Flying Doctors confirmed the identities of the four crew members who perished: Captain Muthuka Munuve, Captain Brian Kimani Miaro, Dr Charles Mugo Njoroge, and Nurse Jane Rispah Aluoch Omusula.
CEO Stephen Gitau paid tribute to their dedication and professionalism. Captain Munuve brought nearly seven years of experience as a captain and check pilot on the Cessna Citation XLS and Pilatus PC-12, with over 10,000 flight hours. Captain Miaro, an instructor on the PC-12, had logged more than 5,800 hours and was training to become a check pilot.
Dr Njoroge had served as a medical doctor with the organisation for more than seven and a half years, while Nurse Omusula had been an emergency flight nurse for four years and eight months.
Gitau described their work as “rooted in service and compassion,” noting that their roles were critical in delivering lifesaving care across Kenya and beyond.
Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing. The aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) have been recovered, though some FDR components are still missing. Authorities, with help from the local community, are searching for the remaining parts.
AMREF reiterated its commitment to transparency and support for affected families, with crisis teams meeting relatives of the victims and community members impacted by the tragedy
