Families of chopper crash victims demand answers

Angry family members of three victims of the October 21 helicopter crash in Lake Nakuru confronted the National Disaster Operation Centre following a fruitless search for their relatives’ bodies.

Emotions ran high as the frustrated families demanded to be allowed to write to the Israeli Embassy in Kenya to request assistance in the search.

In the third week of the search, only a few items suspected to belong to some of the victims, were found by the team, which has spent hours in the lake daily for the past 18 days.

On Wednesday, the search command team held a meeting with the Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Wanyama Musiambo at the shores of the lake.

National Disaster Operation Centre desk officer Jonathan Kertich was at pains to explain why the search had taken long as he tried to calm down the families.

“Is this the best technology or it is what is being offered to us because of our level in society,” asked Mr Philip Kamau, a relative of Ms Veronicah Muthoni.

The Nation has learnt that the team has cited financial challenges which have strained the recovery efforts.