Boniface Mwangi questions circumstances of Nandi helicopter crash that killed 6
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, March 3, 2026Human rights activists and presidential candidate Boniface Mwangi have questioned the circumstances that led to the recent crash of a plane that claimed the lives of six passengers onboard, including Emurua Dikirr Member of Parliament Johanna Ng’eno and the pilot, George Were, in the recent helicopter crash in Nandi County.
Taking it to his social media handle on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the human rights defender has said that the country has a history of political assassinations by those in power and, therefore, the need to investigate the circumstances that led to the plane crash, posing a question on whether the death of the lawmaker could have been politically instigated.
“In a country where political assassinations have historically been used by corrupt, power-hungry leaders, we must ask whether this latest tragedy was truly just an accident or something more sinister. Who stands to benefit from Ng’eno’s death? “Mwangi’s statement read in part.
He also had a reflection on a similar tragic event, the plane crash on 18 April 2024, which took away the lives of the Chief of Defence Forces, General Francis Ogolla, and nine soldiers. Despite the official investigation pointing to the crash being caused by engine failure, Mwangi has observed that lots of Kenyans still believe that foul play could have been a cause of the crash.
“The then Chief of Defence Forces perished along with nine fellow soldiers when their helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff on April 18, 2024. Although the official cause was ruled as engine failure, many still believe he was assassinated,” Mwangi’s statement added.
In providing the analogy of the two incidents, he cautioned against glossing over the Nandi tragedy as just a casualty but emphasised that people should be on their guard and query what is happening.
The plane crash
On the afternoon of February 28, 2026, a helicopter carrying Emurua Dikirr Member of Parliament Johana Ng’eno and five others went down in a hilly part of Chepkiep, Mosop, Nandi County, shortly after take-off. The aircraft reportedly encountered deteriorating weather conditions and low visibility and had attempted an emergency landing before it crashed and burst into flames. All six people on board, including the MP, the pilot, and four others, were killed in the accident.
The Ministry of Roads and Transport and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department have reported launching a formal investigation into the cause of the crash under international aviation protocols, with the Transport Cabinet Secretary saying that a preliminary report is expected within 30 days.