NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 2 – The preliminary report into the helicopter crash that killed Emurrua Dikir Member of Parliament Johana Ngeno will be released within 30 days.
According to Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, the findings are expected to shed light on the circumstances that led to the aircraft’s sudden disappearance from radar and the subsequent crash, a tragedy that has plunged the nation into mourning.
Chirchir said his ministry, through the Aircraft Accident Investigations Department (AAID) under the State Department for Aviation and Aerospace Development, has been on the ground since Saturday and has formally launched investigations into the incident.
“My ministry, through the Air Accident Investigations Department, has already commenced investigations to establish the cause of the crash,” he said.
He was speaking at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Sunday, where he joined other government officials and leaders in receiving the bodies of the six victims, the CS said investigators are combing through the wreckage and gathering crucial evidence to reconstruct the helicopter’s final moments.
He emphasised that the probe is being conducted in strict adherence to international aviation standards to ensure transparency and credibility.
“The investigation is being conducted in accordance with the rules and standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13,” Chirchir said, referring to the globally recognised framework for aircraft accident investigations.
He added that the AAID has formally notified both the State of Manufacture and Design of the aircraft, as well as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), about the crash.
“The preliminary report will be issued within 30 days,” Chirchir reiterated.
“As the minister in charge of the State Department of Transport, I wish to assure the public of the government’s commitment to air transport safety and request patience as we await the investigators’ findings,” he said.
Chirchir assured Kenyans that the process would be thorough, independent and shielded from interference, focusing on technical, operational and environmental factors that may have contributed to the accident.
The helicopter is reported to have gone down shortly after disappearing from radar at 4:26pm, killing Ngeno and five other occupants on board. The tragedy has sparked widespread grief, particularly in Emurua Dikirr constituency, where Ngeno was serving his third term as MP.
The preliminary report, expected within 30 days, is anticipated to provide the first official account of the events leading to one of the country’s most tragic aviation incidents in recent years.
