Six confirmed dead as light aircraft crashes in Mwihoko

Six people have been confirmed dead after a light aircraft crashed into a residential area in Mwihoko, Githurai 45, on Thursday afternoon.

The six include two crew members, two medics, and two people who were inside a residential building.

The aircraft, a Cessna 550 operated by Amref, was en route to Hargeisa, Somalia, having departed Wilson Airport at approximately 1:45 pm.

Footage from the scene showed the aircraft engulfed in flames as bystanders looked on from a distance.

Emergency responders, including military personnel and police, arrived swiftly to secure the area and manage the crowd.

The crash occurred near a military base, prompting a rapid response from nearby officers.

Githurai 45 Sub-county Police Commander Maurice Odanga confirmed the incident and said aviation and security experts were on-site to begin investigations.

Fire engines were also deployed to contain the blaze.

AMREF Flying Doctors confirmed that one of its medical evacuation aircraft was involved in a fatal crash shortly after takeoff from Wilson Airport on Thursday afternoon.

In a statement, the organisation said the aircraft, a Cessna Citation XLS registered as 5Y-FDM, departed the airport at 2:17 pm en route to Hargeisa, Somalia.

“The aircraft took off from Wilson at 1417hrs en route to Hargeisa, Somalia, and crashed at the Mwihoko area, Nairobi,” said Stephen Gitau, CEO and Accountable Manager at AMREF Flying Doctors.