Investigators are racing against time to retrieve a vital flight recorder believed to have vanished from the wreckage of a light aircraft that came down in the Mwihoko area of Githurai 45.
The crash, which occurred on Thursday, has triggered a national appeal for the return of what authorities describe as an irreplaceable component in their probe.
Officials say the device, commonly referred to as a flight data box, was removed during the commotion that followed the crash.
Residents had flocked to the scene soon after the aircraft, a Cessna Citation 560 belonging to the AMREF Flying Doctors unit, crashed near a military base while en route to Somalia.
Speaking at the site of the incident, an official involved in the investigation urged the public to cooperate.
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“The box is important for understanding what exactly happened that led to the crash. We are appealing to whoever has it to return it immediately,” the official said.
The presence of a crowd moments after the crash, combined with the shock of the incident, may have led to the unintentional removal of the device.
Yet officials warn that the consequences of keeping it could be serious.
“We understand that people were curious and shocked, but this box belongs in the hands of experts,” one of the officials reiterated.
Authorities have reminded the public that interfering with or concealing evidence from an aviation accident is not only unlawful but could also significantly obstruct efforts to determine the cause of the tragedy.
The urgency of the situation was underscored as officials confirmed that the investigation hinges on recovering the missing box.
