Kenya mourns plane crash victims

By Kenneth Oduor

NAIROBI, Kenya- It was a sad week for Kenya as the country went into mourning the victims of the weekend plane crash in Cameroon involving the country’s national carrier Kenya Airways.
The Boeing 737-800 plane bought only six months ago crashed into a swampy area within the Cameroonian airspace killing all the 114 people aboard. The plane had just left Douala International Airport in Cameroon and crashed only 13 minutes later.

The cause of the crash is yet to be established but experts say it might have been caused by bad weather.
Kenya’s president Mwai Kibaki has officially declared Monday, May 14th as an official mourning day for the crash victims even as hopes of getting any survivors from the mangled wreckage of the plane dwindle by each passing day.

And in a show of mourning, all the flags in the country and those in its missions abroad are expected to fly at half mast.
Kenya lost nine nationals in the crash among them the plane captain, the co-pilot , the flight engineer and all the flight attendants.
The body of one flight attendant Allan Njoroge has already been found including others from other countries.

According to reports, Mr. Njoroge’s body was easily identified because he had his name tag hanging from his body.
Reports from Cameroon indicate that the search efforts were being hampered by bad weather and identification of bodies made difficult by the bad conditions some of them are in.
Kenya’s chief government Pathologist Moses Njue has meanwhile left for Douala, Cameroon to help in the identification of bodies.

While addressing the country on national television, president Kibaki sent condolences to the bereaved families and friends of the victims.
He asked Kenyans and the world at large to offer their prayers and respect to those who lost their lives in the plane tragedy.
The president assured Kenyans and everybody around the world that his government was working very closely with the management of the national carrier and the Cameroonian authorities to ensure any assistance and information useful to the bereaved families is adequately and timely provided.
“I urge you all to be patient even as we seek answers to the possible causes of this tragic accident”, he said.

President Kibaki at the same time extended his condolences to the people and governments of other countries who lost their nationals in the plane crash.
“My thoughts are with you all during this difficult time of grief. I wish you strength and courage to overcome the tragic loss of your loved ones”, he went on to say somberly.
The Kenya Airways boss Titus Naikuni has meanwhile left the country for Douala Cameroon to view the sight of the crash.

Kenya Airways Board Chairman Mr. Evanson Mwaniki has meanwhile revealed that the crash happened barely 5.2 km from Douala International airport runway. He at the same time revealed that forensic and DNA experts from the United Kingdom are expected to arrive in Cameroon to help with the identification of bodies.

This is the second plane belonging to Kenya Airways to have crashed within the West Africa airspace. The first crashed in 2000 en route from Abidjan, Côte d’ Ivoire killing all 168 passengers on board.