A Kenyan man who lost his family in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash in March this year is on Wednesday set to testify before US Congress.
35-year-old Paul Njoroge from Nakuru lost his wife, three children and his mother-in-law when the Boeing 737 MAX flight went down six minutes after leaving Ethiopia’s Bole International Airport on March 10th.
“Without them, I feel nothing. I’m empty,” Njoroge told Reuters.
“The pain will never go away. I will think of them every minute for the rest of my life.”
Njoroge is among the victims’ families who have filed lawsuits against Boeing, accusing it of negligence.
Njoroge said his life has never been the same again since the accident that claimed the lives of all the 157 people on board. His family was visiting Kenya from Canada when the crash happened.
“For most of these families, our lives stopped completely with the crash,” Njoroge said, adding that he has not been able to work since then. “What motivates us now is to be an advocate for aviation safety.”
Njoroge will testify in US House Subcommittee on Aviation along with Dana Schulze, acting director of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Office of Aviation Safety, and officials from aviation workers’ unions.
Njoroge wants Congress to probe Boeing as well as the certification process of the US government’s Federal Aviation Administration, which deemed the plane safe.
“I think about their last six minutes a lot. My wife and mum-in-law knew they were going to die. They had to somehow comfort the children during those final moments,” Njoroge said in his written testimony.
“I have nightmares about how they must have clung to their mother, crying, seeing the fright in her eyes.”
Sad indeed! May you have…
Sad indeed! May you have peace and comfort some day. Life is quite delicate and unpredictable. We should be grateful everyday we wake up and get vertical. A reminder never to take my loved ones for granted at any given moment. May they RIP.
Pole sana bwana Njoroge. I…
Pole sana bwana Njoroge. I am sure no words can even get close to consoling you. I hope you have happy memories of your family in mind. Kudos for your efforts in improving for aviation safety and lets hope something changes for the better.
My heart goes out to you…
My heart goes out to you. May you find strength as you embark on the new calling.
That’s really sad indeed. No…
That’s really sad indeed. No one should to have such an experience in life. I can’t imagine what goes in your mind everyday. Only prayers will keep you going on a daily basis. Boeing should pay a price for negligence. Although compensation will not bring your family back, it will help you fight for injustices of company like Boeing so no other family will experience such a loss.
Msema kweli, if an earth…
Msema kweli, if an earth quake destroys an airport while passengers are disembarking iwould take it as an act of God.Now what kind of prayer is required when God’s hand plays in the destruction of property, and human life?Just curious. I ask out of ignorance.Niambie ukweli kabisa.
Maxiley, the case of Boeing…
Maxiley, the case of Boeing is human error. The company knew Boeing 737 MAX had issues and this cannot be regarded as God’s act of nature. So when you compare earth quake to Boeing ignorance, I somehow disagree. My statement about prayers was with regard to what that man is experiencing everyday when he remember his family. It is only God who can strengthen him to overcome what he is going through.
Well,I am not going to argue…
Well,I am not going to argue about your faith that’s personal. My concern is,if God who knows all,and sees the future the way I understand, why couldnt he correct this human error and save a lot of grief to his children.And then that pray would not be necessary?
By the way human error or act of God the pain is still the same.Or better one cannot say the other is less painful.
Sometimes I tend to agree…
Sometimes I tend to agree with @Imara when he says “Muumbaji alimaliza kazi yake alipoumba dunia na vyote vilivyomo”. He neither interferes not intervenes in our day to day lives. Or does He? No need to sue Boeing. Human error will always occur. Pole kwa huyu ndugu yetu.
Njoroge is very strong young…
Njoroge is very strong young man. He has grown since I knew him as an intern. His testimony was spot on. May God grant him grace to wade through his current very difficult situation