Panic gripped Mwihoko in Kiambu County after a light aircraft crashed into a building near Mwihoko Secondary School.
The incident disrupted an otherwise quiet midweek routine, drawing residents, schoolchildren, and emergency teams to a scene of smoke, scattered debris, and shock.
The aircraft, believed to have been operated by Phoenix Aviation on behalf of AMREF, had been flying a medical mission.
According to early reports, it went down shortly after entering the Mwihoko area.
No distress signal had been sent prior to the crash, and many locals reported hearing a sudden loud bang before smoke engulfed the neighbourhood.
Before the crash, the area was calm. School was in session, and business was normal around the local shopping centre. But within seconds, children fled their classrooms and parents dashed towards the school after noticing smoke and strange noises.
The aircraft struck a building near the school compound, missing the main learning block by mere metres. Emergency teams arrived minutes later and cordoned off the area.
There has been no official confirmation on the number of people on board or their condition.
However, the impact zone suggested limited space for casualties beyond the crew. Investigators are expected to begin examining the wreckage to establish the cause.
Aviation officials will also likely assess whether mechanical failure or human error played a role.The crash raised new concerns about flight paths over residential areas.
Mwihoko, once considered safely distant from major air traffic, now joins a growing list of populated Kenyan neighbourhoods affected by aviation-related accidents.
The close proximity of the crash to a school added to the emotional weight of the tragedy.
While emergency responders secured the site and cleared debris, anxious residents watched silently.
The aircraft’s mission, intended to deliver hope, instead brought fear and confusion to a quiet part of Kiambu.
