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Two Kenyans among 14 killed in South Sudan plane crash
The aircraft reportedly encountering poor visibility linked to adverse weather conditions.
What you need to know:
- The aircraft reportedly encountering poor visibility linked to adverse weather conditions.
- Officials said two of those on board were Kenyan nationals, while the rest were South Sudanese.
Two Kenyan nationals are among 14 people killed after a Cessna aircraft crashed on the outskirts of South Sudan’s capital, Juba, authorities have said.
The crash occurred on Monday morning on the outskirts of Juba, with the aircraft reportedly encountering poor visibility linked to adverse weather conditions, according to preliminary findings by South Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority.
All 13 passengers and the pilot were killed. Officials said two of those on board were Kenyan nationals, while the rest were South Sudanese.
The Sudan civil aviation authority said a team had been dispatched to the site, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside Juba, to gather information and support emergency services.
“We regret to confirm that a Cessna aircraft crashed on the outskirts of Juba, resulting in the deaths of all 14 people on board,” the civil aviation authority said, adding that “preliminary reports point to poor visibility caused by adverse weather conditions.”
Videos of the crash site shared on social media showed the remains of the aircraft in flames. The location in the videos appeared misty. The accident adds to several involving Kenyan registered aircraft in regional airspaces, as well as at home. The Juba incident involved a Kenyan-registered Cessna 208 Caravan, 5Y-NOK. It was operated by CityLink Aviation Ltd.
In Nairobi, Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir on Monday established a special task force to investigate a string of aviation accidents involving Kenyan aircraft in Somalia and South Sudan.
Cause of the crash
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Team was formally gazetted on 24 April under Section 53(4) of the Civil Aviation Act, granting it powers to probe incidents and recommend safety measures.
The team will be chaired by Captain Peter Maranga, with Fredrick Kabunge as co-chair and Fredrick Aggrey Opot as vice-chair. The panel draws from military aviation and engineering expertise, supported by a wider group of specialists and joint secretaries.
Its mandate is broad: review preliminary accident reports from the past five years, analyse evidence, and interview aviation stakeholders. The focus is on incidents involving Kenyan-registered or operated aircraft reported by Somalia and South Sudan. Additional experts may be co-opted as needed.
In March 2025, a Kenyan-registered DHC-5D Buffalo operated by Trident Aviation crashed near Mogadishu, killing all five crew on board. In May 2020, an African Express aircraft delivering medical supplies was reportedly shot down near Bardale airstrip, in an area linked to Al-Shabaab.
Other incidents ended without loss of life. In February 2025, a Skyward Express Dash 8 crash-landed at a military base in Elwak, Somalia; all 40 people on board survived. A Jubba Airways Fokker 50 overturned on landing in Mogadishu in July 2022, with no fatalities.
In South Sudan, a cargo plane carrying aid for Samaritan's Purse crashed in Unity State in November 2025, killing three crew members. Earlier, in November 2015, an Antonov An-12 went down shortly after take-off from Juba, leaving at least 37 dead.
The team has two months to deliver a report to the Cabinet Secretary, including recommendations aimed at improving aviation safety and preventing future accidents.
Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.
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