Written By Lisa Murimi
What began as a celebratory day for Narc Kenya Party leader Martha Karua in 2003 turned into a harrowing brush with death, leaving two prominent women hospitalized after a tragic plane crash.
In her memoir Against The Tide, Karua recounts the near-fatal incident that followed a series of homecoming celebrations for newly appointed Cabinet members.
On January 23, 2003, Karua and others, including Justice Martha Koome, boarded a 24-seater Gulfstream aircraft in Busia after attending then-Vice President Moody Awori’s victory celebration.
The plane, carrying notable leaders like Labour Minister Ahmed Mohamed Khalif and Information Minister Raphael Tuju, crashed shortly after takeoff.
Striking an electric pole, the aircraft plummeted into a house, killing Khalif and both pilots. Karua and Koome, rescued and taken to local hospitals, were initially mistaken for dead, leading to widespread rumors and mourning.
Karua, who suffered severe head injuries, recalls waking up at Tabaka Mission Hospital, unable to move but determined to stay alive by talking continuously.
“I feared if I stopped talking, I would die,” she said.
To this day, Karua remains unaware of her rescuers’ identities but vividly remembers the blood-soaked aftermath—a testament to the terrifying ordeal and her remarkable resilience.
