Saitoti family wants engine stripped

The family of former Internal Security Minister George Saitoti wants the engine of the helicopter that crashed in Ngong Forest, killing him, his assistant and four others, dismantled.

Lawyer Fred Ngatia, representing the family, told the commission of inquiry investigating the crash that their engineers appointed to inspect the debris of the helicopter said they noticed something “strange” every time they looked at the engine.

The Saitoti family hired the two experts — Mr Chris Biers and Mr Tim Carter — to assist them unravel the circumstances surrounding the Eurocopter AS350 B3e crash that occurred on June 10.

They are being assisted by Mr Naftali Mwangi, a former Kenya Airways aircraft engineer.

The crash also claimed the lives of Prof Saitoti’s assistant Joshua Orwa Ojodeh, pilots Nancy Gituanja and Luke Oyugi, and bodyguards Joshua Tonkei and Thomas Murimi.

“The more our investigator looked at the engine, the more strange the events appeared to him,” Mr Ngatia told the commission led by Court of Appeal judge Kalpana Rawal, which began its sittings on Monday.
Others in the team are Maj-Gen (Rtd) Harold Tangai, Mr Fredrick Aggrey Opot and Capt Peter Maranga. The commission is being assisted by Lucy Kambuni as lead counsel.

“We, therefore, want the engine dismantled locally either at Kenya Airways, who have excellent facilities to do the job or at Wilson Airport. The manufacturer of the aircraft, we feel, must also be notified of our request so that we can be able to get to the bottom of the matter.”

Once the engine has been stripped, Mr Ngatia suggested, some of its crucial parts should be flown to the manufacturers for analysis, with the results transmitted directly to the commission, who will, in turn, publicise the findings.