A tragic air accident unfolded on the afternoon of Thursday, August 7, 2025, after a light aircraft operated by AMREF Flying Doctors crashed into a residential area in Mwihoko, Ruiru, Kiambu County, killing two people and injuring two others.
The aircraft, a Cessna Citation XLS, registration 5Y-FDM had departed Wilson Airport at 2:17 PM en route to Hargeisa, Somalia, with four people on board. The plane went down under unclear circumstances, bursting into flames moments after impact, with debris strewn across nearby homes. Eyewitnesses near Githurai 45 reported a loud explosion followed by thick black smoke.
“There was a loud bang and then flames everywhere. People screamed and ran for cover,” said Mwihoko resident George Maina, who lives a few blocks from the crash site.
AMREF Flying Doctors CEO Stephen Gitau confirmed the aircraft was on a medical mission and expressed the organization’s grief over the incident. “We are cooperating fully with relevant aviation authorities and emergency teams to determine the cause of this tragic crash,” Gitau said in a statement.
A swift response was launched by a multi-agency team that included the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), the National Police Service (NPS), and emergency medical responders. The injured were rushed to hospital while the remains of the deceased were retrieved from the wreckage. Authorities have since cordoned off the area, with investigations currently underway.
While the specific cause of the crash is still under investigation, aviation experts point to the importance of rigorous maintenance and safety checks, especially for humanitarian service providers like AMREF, which operates an extensive fleet for emergency medical evacuations across Africa.
