KEMRI to provide free DNA services in AMREF plane crash victim identification
Investigators have recovered the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR), but some components of the FDR remain missing.
The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has announced it will conduct free DNA testing to help identify victims of last Thursday’s AMREF aircraft crash that claimed six lives shortly after departure from Wilson Airport.
The Cessna Citation XLS (5Y-FDM) went down, killing all four crew members and two people on the ground. AMREF Flying Doctors confirmed the victims as Captain Muthuka Munuve, Captain Brian Kimani Miaro, Dr Charles Mugo Njoroge and Nurse Jane Rispah Aluoch Omusula.
KEMRI Director General Elijah Songok on Monday evening said the move is aimed at reducing the distress faced by families and ensuring the identification process is completed quickly.
“We are more than happy to offer our support, with the hope that it will help bring closure to the bereaved during this difficult period,” he stated, adding that the institute’s facilities and expertise will be deployed immediately.
AMREF Flying Doctors CEO Stephen Gitau paid tribute to the crew, noting Captain Munuve’s nearly seven years of service as a captain and check pilot on the Cessna Citation XLS and Pilatus PC-12, with more than 10,000 flight hours.
He said Captain Miaro was an instructor on the PC-12 and training to become a check pilot, with over 5,800 flight hours.
“Dr Charles Mugo Njoroge served for more than seven and a half years as a dedicated medical doctor, while Nurse Jane Rispah Aluoch Omusula served as an emergency flight nurse for four years and eight months,” Gitau said.
Gitau described their contributions as central to AMREF’s mission of delivering lifesaving care across Kenya and beyond.
Investigators have recovered the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR), but some components of the FDR remain missing. Authorities, together with the local community, are continuing the search, with Gitau appealing for public assistance.
AMREF has assured continued transparency and family support, saying crisis teams have met with seven affected families, including those of local residents impacted by the crash.
