Six people died on Thursday morning when a light aircraft crashed into a residential building in Mwihoko, Kiambu County, about 20 kilometres northeast of central Nairobi.
The aircraft, reported to belong to the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), went down in a populated area, causing panic among residents. The crash also left several people injured, though the exact number of those hurt has not yet been confirmed.
According to reports from Citizen TV, the aircraft had four people on board at the time of the incident. It is still unclear whether all the passengers died in the crash or whether some of the fatalities were from the building the plane struck.
Kiambu County Police Commander Maurice Odanga confirmed the deaths and said that investigations have already started to determine the cause of the crash. He noted that aviation and forensic experts had been dispatched to the scene to collect evidence and assess the damage.
Local authorities cordoned off the area shortly after the crash to allow emergency response teams to carry out rescue and recovery efforts. Witnesses said they heard a loud sound before seeing smoke and flames coming from the crash site. Some residents tried to assist the injured before emergency services arrived.
Images shared by local media showed the wreckage of the aircraft lodged in the top floors of a building, with debris scattered across the area. Firefighters and police worked through the day to secure the site and ensure no one was trapped in the rubble.
AMREF has not yet released an official statement regarding the crash or the identities of the individuals on board.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) is expected to join the investigation to determine what may have led to the tragic incident. Weather conditions at the time of the crash have not been cited as a factor so far, but officials say all possible causes will be examined.
This crash adds to a series of aviation-related accidents reported in Kenya in recent years, raising fresh concerns about air safety, especially in populated zones close to major cities.
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