Mother painfully recounts daughter’s last moments before being killed in Mwihoko plane crash tragedy

Barely 24 hours earlier, a light aircraft belonging to AMREF Flying Doctors crashed in a residential area in Mwihoko area, leading to six fatalities, including two doctors, two nurses and two members of the public who were at the scene. 

Speaking to Citizen TV, Mercy Nafula, the mother of 12-year-old Yvonne Nasimiyu, narrated how her daughter lost her life in the tragedy after returning to the house following a salon appointment. 

"Sikuwa kwa nyumba, mtoto wangu alitoka asubuhi akienda salon akiwa pamoja na watoto wengine wawili na sister yangu. Wakati walianza kushuka huyu mkubwa, wakaambia huyu mtoto mkubwa aende nyumbani apike chakula," she stated. 

"Katika hiyo harakati, ndio hilo tukio lilitendeka na nikapata mtoto wangu akiwa ndani. Nimelea watoto wangu nikiwa peke yangu. Nimeng'ang'ana nao as a single mother. Sai nimepiga na butwa na sijui nianzie wapi, nimalizie wapi kwa kuwa kila kitu iliharibikia hapo, birth certificates za watoto wangu na pia nguo za biashara."

She appealed to the public for support to give her daughter a befitting sendoff and to help her rebuild her life so she can continue providing for her other children.

"Nashukuru Mungu amenibakishia wengine, naomba mnisaidie niweze kumzika mtoto wangu," she noted. 

In another instance, a widow also detailed that her husband, who was at the house, lost his life when the incident occurred. 

The incident occurred at 2:17 pm after the light aircraft, carrying AMREF Flying Doctors crew, took off from Wilson Airport en route to Hargeisa, Somalia, before crashing in Mwihoko. 

A multi-agency team comprising the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and the National Police Service was quickly deployed to the scene to carry out rescue and recovery operations. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.