Canada-Based Kenyan Man Who Lost 5 Family Members in The 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Crash Compensated
- In 2019, Paul Njoroge lost his entire family, who were aboard an Ethiopian Airlines plane which crashed and shook the world
- During the service held to commemorate the five family members, Njoroge declined to bury the soil collected from Bishoftu, 60 kilometres south of Addis Ababa, citing religious beliefs
- The middle-aged man has since been compensated, and now Boeing has averted a lawsuit that was to be held in Chicago
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Toronto, Canada: Boeing has finally compensated a Kenyan living in Canada who lost five family members in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash that shocked the world.
Source: Facebook
Njoroge lost his 33-year-old wife, Carolyne, mother-in-law Ann Karanja, as well as three children: Ryan, 6, Kelli, who was four, and Rubi, who was nine months old.
Speaking to Reuters, Njoroge's law firm Cliffor said that he had been compensated but did not divulge the money that was shared with the man who lost much than most people can bear.
At the time, the 41-year-old was heartbroken, but tried his best to deal with the grief that had visited his family.
During the burial service of the five held in Bahati, Nakuru, he said he refused to bury soil from the scene of the horrific crash, but would instead hold a prayer service for his family as he awaited DNA results.
A staunch Seventh-Day Adventist, Njoroge said burying the soil of his family members would contradict his religious beliefs.
Source: Getty Images
When was the Boeing trial due?
The trial involving Boeing was to start on Monday in US District Court based in Chicago and would have been the first against the US-based plane maker from two fatal 737 MAX crashes that occurred in 2018 and 2019. Collectively, the two accidents killed 346 people.
In April, the company averted another trial when it settled with the families of two other victims who were involved in the Ethiopian Airlines crash.
Robbert Clifford, Njoroge's attorney, is set to start representing the families of six more victims on November 3.
How many people has Boeing settled so far?
So far, Boeing has settled more than 90% of the lawsuits that resulted from the two accidents and paid billions of dollars in compensation while at it.
According to the company, there was also a deferred prosecution agreement and other payments.
Earlier this month, Boeing and the US Justice Department asked a judge to approve an agreement that would allow the company to avoid prosecution, over objections from the relatives of some victims of the two crashes.
The agreement would enable the plane maker to avoid being seen as a convicted felon and escape oversight from an independent monitor for three years.
It was part of a plea deal struck in 2024 to a criminal fraud charge that it misled US regulators about a crucial flight 737 MAX control system, which contributed to the crashes.
The planemaker has since declined to comment on the latest settlement. The two accidents caused a 20-month grounding of Boeing's best-selling jet and cost the company more than KSh 2.6 trillion ($20 billion).
Governor Irungu Kang'ata and compensation saga
This comes barely a month after NTV's exposé on how fraudulent individuals posed as families of victims in the Ethiopian Airlines crash, to obtain compensation monies.
Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata was mentioned in the scandal, but he denied any involvement, adding that he did not handle or table a petition related to the compensation during his time as senator.
"Our client interacted with the petition in his capacity as the senator, and only to the extent that he made contributions on the floor of the House. This can be verified by the Senate on the material day," their lawyers told NTV.
Kenyan journalist dies in crash
In another story, Kenyans mourned the death of journalist Anthony Ngare, who was one of the 32 Kenyans who perished in the Ethiopian Airlines' plane crash.
Ngare was a veteran sports journalist who was admired by many, his moving to NEMA notwithstanding.
Unknown to many people, Ngare was also a loving and caring father to an angelic daughter.
A month before his demise, the beautiful girl identified as Sandrine wrote the scribe an emotional birthday message that left him in tears.
Racheal Nyaguthie, HoD Human Interest, added the section on Irungu Kang'ata.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
