Six people have been confirmed dead after a tragic light aircraft crash in Mwihoko, Githurai 45, on Thursday afternoon. The accident involved a Cessna 550 aircraft operated by AMREF Flying Doctors, which crashed into a residential area shortly after departing Wilson Airport.
Among the deceased are two crew members, two medical personnel, and two residents who were inside the building the plane struck. Kiambu County Commissioner Henry Wafula confirmed the fatalities and stated that several individuals sustained serious injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals for emergency care.
The aircraft, identified as a Cessna Citation XLS and registered as 5Y-FDM, was on a medical evacuation mission bound for Hargeisa, Somalia. According to AMREF Flying Doctors, the flight took off from Wilson Airport at approximately 2:17 pm and went down just minutes later in the densely populated Mwihoko area, raising alarms across Nairobi’s emergency services.
Eyewitness footage captured the horrifying scene, showing the aircraft engulfed in flames as residents watched in shock. The crash site was close to a military base, which enabled a swift response from military personnel, police, and other emergency responders. Fire engines were deployed promptly to extinguish the blaze and prevent further damage to nearby homes.
Githurai 45 Sub-county Police Commander Maurice Odanga confirmed the incident and noted that both aviation and security experts had been deployed to the site to begin investigations into the cause of the crash.
In a statement, Stephen Gitau, CEO of AMREF Flying Doctors, expressed the organization’s condolences and confirmed the loss of the aircraft. “The aircraft took off from Wilson at 1417hrs en route to Hargeisa, Somalia, and crashed at the Mwihoko area, Nairobi,” he said.
The crash has left the local community shaken and raised concerns over flight safety in residential areas. Investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances that led to the tragic accident, as authorities work to support the affected families and assess the full impact of the disaster.
