Traffic at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) ground to a halt as the remains of the 28 out of 32 Kenyans who perished in the Ethiopian plane crash in March 2019 arrived.
Seven months since flight ET302's tragic accident that claimed 157 lives, families and close friends of the deceased made their way to JKIA to receive the remains of their loved ones.
They then went on to hold a requiem mass at the airport in honour of the departed.
Grieving family members were overcome by emotions at the airport, as they were finally going to be able to lay their loved ones to rest.
"The mood at the office turned sombre the moment we got the call informing us that our bosses' body had arrived," one of the grieving friends narrated while speaking to this writer, going on to reveal that they would hold his burial on October 19, 2019.
Speaking to the Daily Nation, Paul Njoroge -the husband to the late Caroline Nduta Karanja, the remains of his wife and three children Ryan Njoroge (7), Kellie Wanjiku (5), Rubi Wangui (9 months) who perished in the crash, would be buried on Friday October 18, at his Kiangai home in Nakuru County.
Reports stated that the identification process of the crash victims took about six months due to what Ethiopian authorities described as complexities derived from the extensive damage inflicted on the bodies.
After the tragic crash on March 10, 2019, some of the families had flown to the crash site and opted to carry soil samples, which they buried back home in a bid to lay their loved ones to rest and find closure.
Several Kenyan families have since sued giant American airplane maker Boeing following the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash.
Speaking from the airport, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, James Macharia, condoled with the families of the deceased.
"Today is a sad day for Kenya as we receive the remains of Kenyans who perished at the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash on 10th March 2019. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. May the Almighty give you strength and courage during this difficult period," he stated.
