Since 2016, some daring Kenyans have found the courage to get airlifts, but surprisingly, not inside the planes together with the rest of the passengers and crew.
These Kenyans sneaked to the aircrafts for various reasons and in some the outcome was fatal.
Below are some of the incident that captured the headlines;
1. Obinna’s chopper
Residents of Migori were on Sunday April 13, 2025 treated to a rather scaring incident when a man decided to cling on a chopper as it took off.
The chopper was carrying Obinna and his colleagues who had attended the traditional marriage ceremony of Ohangla musician Prince Indah.
The pilot was alerted about the man’s presence and was forced to make am emergency landing, dropping the man in a nearby farm.
Speaking to the media, themanl, identified as Absalom Komando, was unapologetic about his actions. He explained why he jumped on the chopper the way he did.
“I wanted to go to Mombasa because returning wouldn’t have been a problem—I can speak and walk. When to come back is not a problem because I know where my home is. People rarely see me; I usually ride donkeys. Today, I made history,” he said.
After being dropped at the farm, locals carried him as they matched away. He seemed to be fined despite the scaring incident.
2.Jacob Juma’s Helicopter
Saleh Wanjala hanged on a helicopter that transported the body of the late Businessman Jacob Juma to Bungoma in May 2016, a move that earned him the title Bungoma James Bond.
Wanjala, who was 41 then, however said that his action wasn’t intentional.
“I was sitting on the landing skids while the crowd milled around the chopper. Suddenly, I realized that the chopper was taking off and my foot was stuck. By the time I was freeing myself the chopper had already gained momentum and decided to hang on to wherever it was going,” he told the media.
Unfortunately, he jumped off and sustained injuries on his hip, legs and hand. A clinical officer who attended to him said that he had been under the influence of alcohol.
He later died in 2020 after a short illness.
3.Peter Munya’s Chopper
In June 2022, a similar incident was witnessed in Meru, when the then Agriculture CS had visited Igembe South, to campaign for ODM leader Raila Odinga, ahead of the 2022 general elections.
The man, who was reportedly Munya’s big fan, clung on the helicopter’s rear rails as it took off. When the pilot realized what was transpiring, he lowered the aircraft, allowing the man to drop off without being hurt.
4.Wetang’ula’s chopper
In March 2022, during the burial ceremony of former Mt. Elgon MP John Serut, at Kapsokwony Boys Highs School, Bungoma, a dramatic moment unfolded when two men decided to hang on to a chopper that was ferrying Moses Wetang’ula, Oscar Sudi, Cleophas Malala and Majimbo Kalasinga.
The pilot was forced to land again so that the men who were hanging dangerously could disembark from the aircraft. They were arrested but later released by the police following protests from the public.
5. Man who travelled on a cargo plane
In January 2022, another Kenyan landed in Netherlands as a stowaway. He hid himself near the nose of a Cargo plane from South Africa. The cargo plane made a stopover at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport before proceeding with the journey to Netherlands.
6.The 16-year old boy Incident
In 2021, a 16-year old Kenyan boy was discovered hiding near the landing gear of a plane that had taken an hour long flight from London to Holland.
The boy was discovered after falling from the compartment while at the Maastricht Aachen airport in Limburg.
According to the Dutch officials, it was a miracle that the boy survived in the freezing temperatures.
“Usually when someone stows away like this, they die because of the cold or a lack of oxygen,” said Marvin Engh, a spokesman for the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee.
Apparently, the boy’s journey began from Nairobi, to Instanbul before proceeding to London. The authorities said they were investigating the possibility of human trafficking but the boy sought asylum in the country saying he didn’t to be returned to Kenya.
7. Man falls off KQ plane
In June 2019, a stowaway believed to be a Kenyan, fell from a KQ Plane that was bound for Heathrow Airport in London from Nairobi. It is believed that he was hiding in the rear landing gear of the plane before the unfortunate incident. There were however controversies surrounding his identity as the Kenyan authorities vehemently differed with American publishers calling them out over fake news.
8. Raila’s Chopper incident
In January 2017, a man hang on Raila Odinga’s chopper as it took off from Igembe South. Raila had toured the area to mobilize locals to register as voters ahead of the 2017 general elections.
The man was identified as Julius Mwathili and was aged 28 then. He explained the reason behind his action.
““I am a die-hard supporter of Raila Odinga and I did not want him to leave me behind. Actually, I wanted a job from him, given the life challenges – including financial bottlenecks –, I am currently facing. The problems are unbearable. I find it hard to provide for my family,” he said.
