AMREF Flying Doctors Takes Off Again with Tribute Flight After Tragedy

AMREF Flying Doctors crew load a patient onto an ambulance at Wilson Airport during the “Wings of Courage” mission.

By Winnie Atieno 

AMREF Flying Doctors has made its first flight since the Mwihoko air accident, launching the “Wings of Courage” mission in honour of six people who lost their lives in the August 7 crash.

The journey, from Nairobi to Belgium, involved the evacuation of a patient critically injured in a Zanzibar road accident. Relatives sought urgent medical treatment abroad and called on the air ambulance service for help.

In a statement delivered on Friday, Chief Executive Officer Steve Gitau said the flight signified resilience and commitment in the face of loss.

“This flight is more than a mission  it is a message. We fly not just with wings, but with purpose,” he said.

The Mwihoko crash in Kiambu County claimed the lives of four crew members  Capt. Muthuka Munuve, Capt. Brian Kimani Miaro, Dr. Charles Mugo Njoroge, and Nurse Jane Rispah Aluoch Omusula as well as two local residents.

AMREF Flying Doctors says it continues to provide emotional, logistical, and practical support to the families affected. The organisation is also working with the Mwihoko community to offer counselling and relief assistance.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, alongside other investigative bodies, is probing the cause of the crash. AMREF Flying Doctors has pledged to uphold strict safety protocols while maintaining high-quality aeromedical care.

The “Wings of Courage” mission, the organisation says, is both a tribute to those lost and a reaffirmation of its mission to save lives across Africa and beyond.