A charter aircraft carrying 12 foreign tourists crashed Tuesday morning in the hilly terrain of Kwale County near Kenya’s coast, killing all on board and raising fresh concerns over safety in the country’s increasingly robust tourism sector.
The plane was headed to the famed Maasai Mara National Reserve when it went down shortly after take-off from a coastal airstrip, amid heavy rainfall and fog covering the region.
A resident at the scene, Mr Makopa Sazu, said: “It was still very early when I heard a loud bang. I rushed to the scene and found that the plane had caught fire and there was no one we could save.”
Images published by Kenya’s Daily Nation show the aircraft in flames, fragments scattered across a fog-shrouded hillside.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) confirmed that government agencies are on site investigating the crash and assessing its impact.
According to the KCAA, local weather authorities noted heavy overnight rain and dense fog in the area at the time the accident occurred.
The 12 passengers were confirmed as foreign tourists, although their nationalities are still being verified by authorities.
Local authorities in Kwale say they are working with national agencies to secure the crash-site, recover remains, determine cause, and coordinate with foreign diplomatic missions for passenger identification.
Meanwhile, the tourism ministry and aviation regulator are expected to release a full report in due course.
The crash comes at a moment of significant growth in Kenya’s tourism industry.
Latest official figures indicate that Kenya welcomed around 2.4 million international visitors in 2024, a roughly 15 % increase from 2023.
The total visitor count (including domestic tourism) was reported at about 7.5 million for 2024.
In revenue terms, the sector earned approximately KSh 452.20 billion (Kenyan Shillings) in 2024, up from KSh 377.49 billion in 2023, reflecting a 19.8 % rise.
This surge underscores tourism’s vital role in Kenya’s economy.
At the same time, Kenya’s strategic goal is to increase visitor numbers further—with a target of around 5 million international tourists by 2027.
As Kenya pivots into the busy safari season with the Maasai Mara migration drawing more international visitors, the crash serves as a grim reminder of the risks involved in travel to remote destinations, especially under adverse weather conditions.
