Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has issued an update on the Mwihoko plane crash, which left at least six people dead.

In a statement on Friday, September 5, 2025, Chirchir indicated that crucial information recovered from the site of the crash had been airlifted to the United States for analysis.

“On 7th August 2025 at about 2:17 pm local time, an accident occurred at Mwihoko in Ruiru Sub County, Kiambu County involving a Cessna Citation 560XLS aircraft registration 5Y-FDM with four persons on board,” Chirchir stated.

Flight crew

“The African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) Flying Doctors Aircraft had taken off from Wilson Airport at 2:14 pm on an Instruments Flight Rules (IFR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) flight to Egal International Airport in Hargeisa, Somaliland. On board were two pilots, a doctor, and a nurse.”

The accident left six people dead, including the Pilot in charge, the first officer, a doctor, and a nurse, who were headed to Hargeisa in Somalia, for a medical emergency.

Two others were killed on the ground: a man and a school-going child, while two people were hospitalized with serious injuries.

Crashed minutes after take-off

According to the preliminary report, the airplane crashed just minutes after getting clearance to take off from the Wilson Airport.

“Emergency responders from multiple government agencies responded to the crash site immediately. The aircraft was found to have crashed on a residential building adjacent to the A.I.P.C.A. Ngatho church in Mwihoko,” Chirchir said.

“Unfortunately, all four occupants on board the aircraft and two persons on the ground suffered fatal injuries, while two others on the ground suffered serious injuries.”

The initial report indicates that CCTV footage from adjacent buildings and eyewitness accounts revealed that the plane spun to its right side before crashing into a residential building.

“Investigators recovered, isolated, and preserved the aircraft’s Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) as found at the crash site. The FDR and CVR have been dispatched to the United States of America’s National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recorders laboratory for examination, readout, and analysis in order to finalize the investigation,” Chirchir said.

“The joint FDR and CVR readout and analysis exercise will be conducted in the last week of September and the first week of October 2025 with the participation of AAID investigators, Accredited Representatives, and observers.”