Nairobi – A medical light aircraft crashed into a small residential block near the Kenyan capital Nairobi, killing at least six people and injuring two seriously, a local official said Thursday.
The plane took off from Nairobi’s Wilson airport at 2:17 pm local time (1100 GMT) and was en route to Somaliland when it came down in Ruiru, Kiambu County, shortly after 3:00 pm (1200 GMT).
“We have lost four people, including the pilot… it was all fatal,” said Kiambu County commissioner Henry Wafula.
“The house that it landed on… two people again also died,” he said, adding that two people on the ground had been “seriously injured”.
BREAKING: AMREF aircraft crash; 6 people confirmed dead (2 doctors, 2 nurses, and 2 on ground) – Kiambu County Commissioner, Henry Wafula confirms. Says those seriously injured rushed to hospital pic.twitter.com/msvTqLuCTx
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) August 7, 2025
Images from AFP on the scene showed huge crowds had gathered, as rescuers and first responders picked through the scattered debris.
“The plane started burning while in the air,” resident Tasha Wanjira told AFP, before it hurtled down into the small community.
Another resident, Irene Wangui, described how the “plane passed by our building shaking it”, and said when the aircraft came down “there were body parts littered all over”.
As dusk fell, hundreds remained to watch the rescue workers – with residents sobbing as they were comforted by neighbours.
“I have lost everything, thank God my children were not around,” Margaret Wairimu told AFP, weeping over her destroyed home.
🚨 BREAKING:
A medical evacuation jet has crashed into a residential area near Nairobi, Kenya.▶️ 6 dead — including 2 people inside a home struck by the plane.
▶️ The Cessna jet had just taken off from Wilson Airport en route to Somaliland.Emergency services are still at the… pic.twitter.com/DLqZyD3CLg
— THE ODD THINKERS (@the_oddmind) August 7, 2025
Amref Flying Doctors CEO Stephen Gitau confirmed one of their aeroplanes, a Cessna Citation XLS, had been “involved in a fatal accident today”, but did not provide any further details.
Gitau said the company was focusing on “the safety and well-being of those on board” and said that further information would be provided “as it is confirmed”.
Based in Nairobi, Amref was founded in 1957 as the Flying Doctors of East Africa.
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Source: AFP
