Senator Osotsi among 39 who escape after Safarilink plane skids off wet Wilson runway

A Safarilink Aviation aircraft carrying 39 people veered off the runway at Wilson Airport in Nairobi on Friday evening, March 20, 2026.

All passengers and crew walked away without injury.

The aircraft, a De Havilland DHC-8-100 registered as 5Y-BXI and operated by ALS Limited on behalf of Safarilink, had departed Kisumu International Airport and was landing on Runway 32 at Wilson at approximately 8:55 PM when it skidded off course, coming to a halt on a grass section near the intersection of runways 07 and 14.

The runway surface was wet at the time, and visibility had dropped due to rain.

"We confirm that Flight 090, operated by ALS Limited on our behalf from Kisumu to Wilson Airport, was involved in a runway excursion incident upon landing at 2055hrs," Safarilink said in a statement. "All passengers and crew have been accounted for, and there are no reported serious injuries at this time."

The airline said the flight was carrying 34 passengers and five crew members. The aircraft sustained damage to its nose, main landing gear and propeller.

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) also confirmed the incident, saying recovery efforts were underway and that operations at Wilson Airport remained normal.

"We wish to confirm that all passengers and crew are safe, with no injuries reported," KAA said.

Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, who was among the 34 passengers on board, confirmed he survived the incident and used it to raise concerns about safety standards at the airport.

Osotsi credited the pilot's quick thinking for averting a potentially catastrophic fire.

"I thank God for His protection after I came out safely from an aircraft accident at Wilson Airport," Osotsi said.

He argued that the pilot's decision to steer the aircraft off the runway and force it to stall likely prevented the plane from catching fire.

The senator, however, was sharply critical of what he described as the absence of emergency preparedness at the scene.

He claimed there was no ambulance on standby, no rescue team and no immediate emergency response when the aircraft came to a stop.

Osotsi called for the immediate closure of Wilson Airport to allow for a comprehensive upgrade to international safety standards, linking Friday's incident to concerns he had previously raised in the Senate.

He claimed the airport had a history of a flooded runway and faulty lighting, conditions he said had previously forced the diversion of evening flights to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, raising questions about why Friday's flight was cleared to land at Wilson.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID) has since taken up the matter.

Safarilink confirmed it is collaborating with relevant aviation authorities to determine what caused the runway crash.

Wilson Airport, located a few kilometres from Nairobi's central business district, is one of East Africa's busiest domestic airports, handling a high volume of private charter, training and humanitarian flights daily.