Family describes pilot Magonga as humble, kind-hearted
The late Captain Marious Maisiba Magonga. He and his passengers died after their helicopter crashed in Turkana. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mario had bought a plot for his mother and was renovating a house that she was to move into.
- Gladys described her brother as a reserved person who took his work seriously.
Mr Mario Magonga, the pilot who died in the Sunday evening helicopter crash in Lake Turkana, has been described by his family as philanthropic.
The pilot’s mother, Melania Magonga, said he was the family’s sole breadwinner.
“Mario was the pillar of this family and his death is very painful. He would provide whatever I requested,” she told the Nation at her house in Section Six estate in Kitale.
Mario had bought a plot for his mother and was renovating a house that she was to move into.
SAD NEWS
Ms Magonga said her daughters attempted to hide the sad news from her when she arrived home from her routine walk in the morning, “but I had a feeling something was not right”.
“A neighbour asked why one of my daughters was outside the gate crying. I took the decision to find out from my church members, who informed me of the crash. They said my son was in the ICU,” she said.
“I wanted to know if they were lying. Then I told them I knew my son was dead. I felt it.”
Mario’s sister Gladys said she received the news from her sister-in-law around 5am.
RUTO'S PILOT
Gladys described her brother as a reserved person who took his work seriously. She said Mario did not involve the family in his work “because of its nature”.
“I was disturbed. The other test was breaking the news to our mother, because she has health complications. We switched off the radio and TV and diverted her calls,” she said.
Gladys said she was shocked to learn that her brother was Deputy President William Ruto’s pilot.
