Military

DATE=1/24/2003

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=KENYA / CRASH (L)

NUMBER=2-298769

BYLINE=ALISHA RYU

DATELINE=NAIROBI

CONTENT=

INTRO: At least three people, including a cabinet minister in Kenya's new government, have died in a plane crash in western Kenya. Officials say Labor Minister Ahmad Mohamed Khalif and the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crash. V-O-A's Alisha Ryu has details from Nairobi

TEXT: Labor minister Ahmed Mohamed Khalif was pronounced dead shortly after he was taken to a hospital in Busia, near Kenya's border with Uganda.

He boarded the private Gulfstream jet late Friday with three other ministers and at least four assistant ministers for a short trip from Busia to the port city of Kisumu. They were scheduled to attend a commemoration ceremony for a leading opposition figure who died nine years ago.

Kenyan Trade Minister Mukhisa Kituyi describes what happened minutes after the plane took off.

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It did not clear enough height after take-off and it hit some electric cables (and) then crashed into a building in a fairly densely populated area.

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The pilot and the co-pilot were killed instantly. Several of the ministers who survived the crash were seriously injured. Military helicopters ferried them back to Nairobi.

The injured officials include the water resources minister, the minister of state in the office of the vice president, the information and tourism minister and the assistant justice minister.

Mr. Kituyi says he believes the runway at the airport was too short.

All of the ministers were sworn in earlier this month as part of a new government headed by President Mwai Kibaki. Mr. Kibaki and his National Rainbow Coalition won an historic victory in December 27th elections, ending nearly four decades of rule by the rival KANU party.

President Kibaki is currently in a hospital in Nairobi, recovering from injuries sustained in a car crash in December. (Signed)

NEB/AR/KL/KBK/FC