Pilots detained in South Sudan arrive home

The two pilots had been in South Sudan since January 7, when their plane, hired by a Juba-based non-government organisation to ferry staff to Upper Nile state. [Photo: Boniface Okendo, Standard]

After 44 days of uncertainty, two-year-old Nathan Shamalla drew the curtain open and peered through the window to watch the plane that was flying his father back home land.

Seated in the VIP room at Wilson Airport, the toddler, who almost rubbed shoulders with Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma, stood on a leather sofa and craned his neck, determined to see his father.

The plane was carrying Captain Frank Njoroge and his co-pilot Kennedy Shamalla, who were equally eager to be reunited with their families.

The two pilots had been in South Sudan since January 7, when their plane, hired by a Juba-based non-government organisation to ferry staff to Upper Nile state, crash-landed at 4.45pm.

The aircraft developed a technical hitch shortly after take-off from Akobo, in the Great Upper Nile region, near South Sudan’s border with Ethiopia. 

The accident happened on the way back to Kenya.

A South Sudan national and several head of cattle were killed in the crash, angering residents, who demanded compensation.

Locals angry

Reports say the locals were angry and wanted to beat the two up. They were taken in by a commissioner, who detained them briefly before handing them over to the area governor.

As soon as Mr Njoroge's wife, Beatrice, caught a glimpse of her husband at the Wilson Airport, she covered her mouth and cried while a relative spontaneously embraced her.

Njoroge emerged from the plane looking frail - his oversize trousers could barely stay up, even with a belt tightly in place.

When he finally reached his wife and hugged her, he had to fish out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe away the tears that flowed freely.

Njoroge's suffering was evident from his face. The pilot suffers from eczema, a condition that makes the skin dry and rough, and his skin was damaged because he had no access to medication while he was detained in South Sudan.

He comforted his sobbing wife by putting one arm around her while a paramedic held on to the other.

“I just want to go home,” he said.

But first, he was put in an ambulance along with Mr Shamalla and taken to Mater Hospital, where they were admitted.

Mater Medical Director Victor Ng’ani, who received the two, said they had been through a traumatic experience even though they were in high spirits.

“We have ascertained that they need medical attention; they are in very good hands," said Dr Ng'ani.

"Certainly they will stay the night as we conduct a few tests and within the next few days we will make a determination on how well they are doing,” he added.

Tiny hands

Nathan saw his father and rushed into his arms, locking his tiny hands around his neck. He had to be forced to let go when they arrived at the hospital.

His wife Beth Muthoni, who repeatedly told The Standard how excited she was, said her husband’s arrival was timely.

“Our daughter is in Form Two and has been in the dark. She will be coming home on Saturday for half-term," she said. "It was really hard thinking how I would break the news to her."

Ms Juma said the families had suffered emotionally and psychologically during the pilots' detention.

“We are grateful because we struggled to secure their release,” she said.

Godwin Wachira, who owns the plane that crashed, said UAP, the insurers of the aircraft, paid the ransom for the pilots' release.

“Our lawyer talked to UAP, who ensured the money required for their release was settled. They paid $107,743 (Sh10.8 million),” he said.

The pilots were scheduled to arrive at Wilson Airport aboard a chartered Kenyan flight from Juba on Monday but one of them was reported to be very sick.