Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata has issued a response following allegations implicating him in a compensation scandal related to the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash.
The controversy erupted in April 2024 when whistleblower reports and affected families flagged questionable legal filings linked to Kang’ata’s law firm.
According to a documentary on NTV, during Kang'ata's tenure as Murang’a senator, eight individuals allegedly connected to his office posed as relatives of the crash victims in a bid to fraudulently access compensation from Boeing.
However, in a rejoinder on Thursday, May 8, Kang’ata denied any wrongdoing and defended the integrity of his legal representation.
"All real victims whom we represented in the United States got paid, and none have complained. None of the eight mentioned were compensated,” he said.
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Kang'ata noted that the matter was fully resolved in 2019, and all legitimate clients from Kenya had received due compensation.
He also dismissed any insinuation that his actions in the Senate had influenced or benefited from the compensation process.
"This is a 2019 issue that was duly closed, and all compensation relating to my clients, Kenyan accident victims, was duly paid. My Senate debate on the issue did not confer any gain either to myself or purported staff," he added.
Kang’ata added that he will continue to leverage his legal expertise to represent and fight for Kenyan citizens, both domestically and abroad.
"I’ll continue using my legal skills to fight for Kenyans successfully, including in the US and wherever else,” he concluded.
Flight 302, which crashed near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, in March 2019, claimed the lives of all 157 people on board, including 32 Kenyans.
The incident was linked to malfunctions in the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), an automated flight control feature.
Investigations revealed that erroneous sensor data triggered the MCAS, causing the aircraft to enter a nosedive that pilots could not override.
In November 2021, Boeing formally accepted responsibility for the crash, acknowledging that its actions contributed to the tragedy.
Following Boeing's admission of liability, a $500 million (Ksh64.5 billion) victim compensation fund was established, with each eligible victim granted approximately $1.45 million (Ksh187 million).
In Kenya, families of the 32 victims began receiving these settlements, with total compensation amounting to over Ksh4.8 billion.
The compensation amounts varied based on factors such as the victim's age, profession, and financial status at the time of death.
