Kenyans receive remains of loved ones after plane crash

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - After a seven-month delay, Kenyans finally received the remains of their loved ones who died in an aviation disaster in Ethiopia on March 10 this year.

Kenya's foreign affairs and transport ministers, local leaders and relatives arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport early Monday to receive the remains of victims of the ET-302 Ethiopia crash which were ferried by an Ethiopian Airlines plane to Nairobi.

Quindos Karanja was among those who travelled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to have their DNA samples collected to help in identification of their loved ones, he told Anadolu Agency, and added: "The arrival of these remains marks an end to our very long wait, we can finally lay them to rest, I can finally lay my wife to rest".

The families who received the remains of 28 out of 32 Kenyans held a requiem mass at the airport in honor of their departed family members.

Photos of the deceased were placed on top of the coffins which lay side by side at the requiem mass held at the airport.

Kenya’s Foreign Minister Monica Juma told reporters on the sidelines of the requiem mass that "the needs of every family have been taken care of".

On the matter of compensation Juma said the negotiations were going on, and it will take "a bit of time," but Kenyan and Ethiopian governments as well as the Kenyan civil aviation authorities are working "very closely on this".

Boeing has offered all the Kenyan families compensation packages but 15 Kenyan families have rejected a $100 million compensation offer from Boeing following advice from their lawyers.