• The government has said all the 38 Kenyans who perished in an Ethiopian Airline have been accounted for.
• Remaining 10 were either rested elsewhere or cremated as families wished.
Image: BBC
The 38 Kenyans who perished in an Ethiopian Airline have been accounted for.
The government, through Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma, said they had met with all the families and discussed how they would close down the matter.
Juma spoke at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport yesterday when she received the remains of the victims. The families gathered at the presidential pavilion where they held an interdenominational prayer service before being handed the remains.
The Nairobi-bound aircraft had left Adis Ababa when it crashed on March 10 barely six minutes after takeoff, killing all the 157 people on-board.
“Today, we've received the remains of 28 victims. The remaining were either laid to rest elsewhere due to dual citizenship or cremated as per the wishes of the families,” Juma said.
“We know the accident was a great tragedy to us because we lost lots of professionals, but we are here to put a closure to seven months of sorrow."
Juma said the government had followed through the events to ensure the needs of each family were well taken care of.
She said though the issue of compensation will likely take longer than expected, the government and the Ethiopian authorities are working round the clock to ensure everything is settled.
Her sentiments were echoed by Ethiopia's Ambassador Meles Alem, who said his country was greatly sorry to the families affected.
“When Kenya mourns, Ethiopia, too, mourns. When you celebrate, we, too, celebrate. Our Prime Minister Aby Ahmed has sent his deepest condolences to all the families,” Meles said.
Transport CS James Macharia said it is high time he Aviation Industry put stringent measures in place to ensure security and safety of all passengers.
He said the measures should be extended to aircraft manufacturers so they do not take anything to chance.
The families' representative Richmond Muriithi told reporters they were happy with how the issue was handled. He said the government has worked closely with them to settle pending issues.
The families took the remains to funeral homes of their choice to allow them finalise burial plans.
“We can confirm that all the passengers were insured so the airline’s insurance company has catered for all the expenses. The government or the families have not incurred any expenses,” he said.
The bodies were badly damaged and DNA had to be carried out to identify them. The families had travelled to Ethiopia to witness the process.
"Whatever remains they have brought, we are confident they did the right thing and we shall lay them to rest,” Muriithi said.
Some families have sued Boeing while others have opted for the Sh15 million the company has issued per passenger.
"This means each family has its own needs and interests. There are those who are okay with the gift from Boeing while others want to pursue the case,” he said.
(Edited by F'Orieny)