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Four victims of Amref aircraft crash revealed
Emergency personnel work at the scene where a Cessna plane operated by Amref Flying Doctors crashed into buildings in the Githurai suburb of northeastern Nairobi, Kenya, August 7, 2025.
What you need to know:
- The journey from Wilson Airport to Hargeisa in Somalia to save a patient’s life turned tragic just three minutes after takeoff.
- The crash also claimed two lives from the community where the aircraft fell and left about four others with injuries.
The four victims of Amref Flying Doctors aircraft that crashed on Thursday have been revealed after consent from the family members.
The journey from Wilson Airport on Thursday afternoon, destined for Hargeisa in Somalia to save a patient’s life, turned tragic just three minutes after takeoff.
In a media briefing on Friday evening, Amref Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Manager Stephen Gitau said the four are Captain Muthuka Munuve, Captain Brian Kimani Miaro, Dr Charles Mugo Njoroge, and nurse Jane Rispah Aluoch Omusula.
Captain Miaro was an instructor captain on the Pilatus PC-12 and was transitioning to become a check pilot — who performs an oversight role over others — on the same aircraft. He had more than5,800 hours of flight experience.
Captain Munuve served for nearly seven years as a captain and check pilot on both the Cessna Citation XLS and the Pilatus PC-12, with more than 10,000 hours of flying experience.
The CEO said that Dr Njoroge served for more than seven years as a dedicated medical doctor.
“All of them took to the skies with purpose to heal, to save, and to serve. Their courage, compassion, and unwavering commitment to saving lives will forever remain etched in the heart of this organisation and the history of this country,” CEO said.
A body is carried away from the spot where a Cessna plane belonging Amref Flying Doctors crashed at Mwihoko, Kiambu county on August 7, 2025.
He also recognised the residents of Mwihoko who were affected by this tragic incident.
“We recognise the trauma and disruption this has caused in your community, and we stand with you during this painful time.”
Ms Omusula was an emergency flight nurse, and a clinical educator at Amref Flying Doctors and had served for four years before her death.
Accurate identification process
She held a Master of Science Nursing in critical care from the University of Nairobi. She was also a certified American Heart Association (AHA) advanced life support courses provider and instructor.
In her profile on social media, Ms Omusula said that her dream was to “see an emergency work force that is well trained to positively impact the health system by significantly reducing mortality rates in our emergency departments.”
She had also discovered a new hobby in sports as a golfer. Last month, she was invited as a guest at a golf tournament in Machakos County, where she performed well.
According to the Amref CEO, the crisis teams have been in close contact with the families of four fallen colleagues for the last 24 hours.
A woman breaks down near the scene where a Cessna plane operated by Amref Flying Doctors crashed into buildings in the Githurai suburb of northeastern Nairobi, Kenya, August 7, 2025.
“Today, we met with seven families, including those of community members affected, offering emotional, psychological, and logistical support. We acknowledge the six fatalities and are providing psychosocial support to their families. We thank the families for taking the time to meet with us.”
At the same time, the CEO stated that they are coordinating closely with government pathologists and investigative authorities to ensure a dignified and accurate identification process for all victims.
“We appreciate the strong cooperation and support we have received from government agencies. We remain committed to transparency and accountability and will continue to share updates as they become available,” he said.
He confirmed that the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder (FDR) — often referred to as black box -- which were initially reported missing, have been recovered and will be vital tools in aiding the ongoing investigation.
“Some parts of the FDR are still missing, and we continue to work with the local community to locate them. We kindly appeal to any residents who may have seen or found these missing components to bring them forward, as they are critical to the investigation,” he said.
The Cessna Citation XLS aircraft of registration 5Y-FDM, is said to have lost contact with the control tower before being reported to have crashed in Mwihoko in Githurai, at the border of Nairobi and Kiambu counties.
Yvonne Nasimiyu, 13, who died after an Amref aircraft crashed landed on their house in Mwihoko area on August 7, 2025.
Amref Flying Doctors confirmed that one of their aircraft was involved in the accident, resulting in the deaths of all four occupants.
“On board were four crew members, a captain, first officer, doctor, and nurse… we are profoundly saddened by this tragic loss and extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of our fallen colleagues,” Mr Gitau said on Thursday.
The crash also claimed two lives from the community where the aircraft fell and left about four others with injuries.
