President Farmajo calls Uhuru to ‘express regret’ after Kenyan plane shot down in Somalia

Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo on Tuesday morning made a telephone call to President Uhuru Kenyatta to express his regret and convey condolences for the loss of life after a Kenyan-registered aircraft was shot down in Bardale on 4 May 2020.

Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement to newsrooms, said President Farmajo informed President Kenyatta that he had instructed Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authorities to immediately mount an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

He further extended an invitation to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority to team with their Somalia counterparts in order to complete the investigations expeditiously.

“HE Uhuru Kenyatta thanked HE Farmajo for the call and undertook to convey his condolences to the families of the two crew members who perished in the aircraft crash,” read the statement.

“The President further welcomed President Farmaajo’s invitation to Kenya’s civil aviation authorities to join in the investigation into the aircraft crash emphasizing the need to swiftly, but thoroughly conclude the process.”

The Embraer-120 aircraft operated by Africa Express was reportedly chartered by a non-governmental organization to deliver medicine and medical equipment from Baidoa to Bardale.

KCAA Director General Captain Gilbert Kibe earlier said the aircraft had been operating in Somalia since 2 March 2020, further adding that the firm’s operations officer confirmed that they lost contact with the aircraft at 4:20pm.