Kenyan minister, asst minister dead in plane crash
Source: Reuters
By C. Bryson Hull and Wangui Kanina NAIROBI, June 10 (Reuters) -
A Kenyan cabinet minister and assistant minister died on Tuesday along with two others in the crash of a light plane near the Masai Mara game reserve, officials said.
Roads Minister Kipkalya Kones, 56, and Assistant Minister for Home Affairs Lorna Laboso, 47, were aboard the plane with a pilot and a security guard, a spokesman for their party said. "I am confirming that they were on the plane that crashed. I am not confirming that they are dead, but the police are confirming that all aboard died," Orange Democratic Movement party spokesman Salim Lone said. Narok District police boss Patrick Wambani said all four people in the plane died.
There was no immediate confirmation for the cause of the crash in a remote area called Kojonga. "The plane came down on an unoccupied house and disintegrated, killing all four occupants," Wambani told Reuters in Narok, 120 km (75 miles) west of the capital Nairobi. In Nairobi, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said the names of Kones and Laboso were on the flight manifest.
Both politicians were members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, which had opposed President Mwai Kibaki and advocated public protests after he won a disputed re-election in December. The vote sparked Kenya's worst violence since independence from Britain in 1963, and deal to end the political impasse brought ODM into a coalition government with Kibaki's Party of National Unity alliance.
Kones is a five-term member of parliament and was first elected in 1988, after a career as a teacher and manager at a produce firm. He has held several other ministries throughout his public career.
Laboso is a first-term legislator, who has campaigned against the cultural practice of female genital mutilation in her Kipsigis tribe. After a career as a secretary and accountant, she got her university degree in communications last year.
(Reporting by Wangui Kanina, Helen Nyambura and Bryson Hull; Editing by Jon Boyle)
This has all just been confirmed through our local news stations;
"Kones, Labosa, pilot Schner and bodyguard Kenneth Bett are all confirmed dead."
6 comments:
Hey ... cool! Not the crash. Sorry. I'm referring to the Ushahidi banner on your page. One of my friends from high school is the architect and web planner behind that site!
now how is this relevant to your story???
'Both politicians were members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, which had opposed President Mwai Kibaki and advocated public protests after he won a disputed re-election in December. The vote sparked Kenya's worst violence since independence from Britain in 1963 (mere propaganda), and deal to end the political impasse brought ODM into a coalition government with Kibaki's Party of National Unity alliance'. You suck stupid lost white kenyan gringo!!!
you are just another dude suffering from tribal syndrome how does the death of odm relate to the post election violence.be professional don't be carried by ya rigidity culture please dont confirm your myopism you are
To Anonymous:
The vote DID spark the worst violence Kenya has seen since independence. That is NOT propaganda. And if you didn't know, your insults DO NOT add to your credibility. I am sure you can get your points across w/o hurling matusis. Afterall, everyone is entitled to an opinion, including the writer(s) of the article.
This accident made me wonder about the safety and service of the small planes industry in Kenya and the training given to these pilots. Granted, I don't know what the stats are there compared to the rest of the world etc. I have flown in a Cessna on several occassions and I can't say I trust those small crafts, but that's just me.
Shame on you anonymous for such a pathetic response on this blog. If you have a problem with the article, write to Reuters and read who wrote the article first because there are black and white people behind the story. SHAME ON YOU for looking for an opportunity to lash out your pathetic rascists comments and being such a coward as to remain anonymous. Crawl back into your hole and leave what is good and pure like this blog platform alone. I am disgusted and just hope you are not a Kenyan because we already have enough black and white trash here.
KIPKALYA KONES, THE LEGEND
Tribute by David Mutai (UK)
KIPKALYA KONES passed-on a brave and courageous man.
We mourn the lose of a great man
But also
Celebrate the wonderful privilege of sharing his gifted life.
Kipkalya was a mighty pillar and champion of his people
He was selfless, almost to a fault in his generosity
He gave without grumbling,
he gave from his heart
And
From their hearts, people loved him
His selflessness will live in our hearts and minds forever-
Kipkalya Kones has passed-on a LEGEND.
His praises will live among the Kipsigis people for generations to come.
His service to the Kenyan people as a whole will be UNFORGETTABLE.
His love for his family IRREPLACEBLE
He INSPIRED his people to greatness.
He was an astounding ORATOR whose skills were second to none.
With his speeches he won our HEARTS AND MINDS.
He pulled the crowds and inspired their lives
He spoke with new energy to our hearts and minds
To some of us, he drew us to tears...
I remember one old mama in a mass rally in Bomet saying:
“When Kipkalya speaks, I want to cry."
Yes,
such was the effect he had in all of us, and for that he will be greatly missed.
He gave us HOPE
INSPIRED our lives to greatness,
He saw the silver lining in every cloud, and made us all see the same
Who would forget his GENUINE SMILE?
He had a SMILE that was always deep from his heart.
His smile UPLIFTED OUR SPIRITS and made us approach daily life with
a positive energy.
He made everything worthwhile in countless ways
His name, Kipkalya, meant PEACE,
So may his soul rest in ETERNAL PEACE.
Kipkalya,
Memories of your life will live with us forever -
As an eagle sores in the sky from whence you fell,
so shall good memories of the lives you touched.
We mourn the lose of a TRUE LEADER, an IRREPLACEABLE man
But We also celebrate the life
of
A father
A family man
A gifted man,
A born leader,
Hard working and courageous man
A blessed man,
A happy man who made us all happy
A government minister
our beloved Mp
a true son of Kenya
a man of PEACE
a man called PEACE
You were a wonderful blessing to our lives.
We'll miss you Kipkalya
but
as you lived with a smile,
You will forever be remembered with a loving smile.
Rest In God’s Eternal Peace
With loving tears we celebrate your life and can’t believe you are gone
You are indeed irreplaceable.
and
Memories of your life will fondly be engraved in our memories for ever and ever
AMEN
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