{"id":391086,"date":"2026-08-23T01:23:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T01:23:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/391086\/"},"modified":"2026-08-23T01:23:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T01:23:24","slug":"gachagua-spotted-on-same-plane-edwin-sifuna-used-questions-arise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/391086\/","title":{"rendered":"Gachagua Spotted on Same Plane Edwin Sifuna Used, Questions Arise"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rigathi Gachagua arrived in Emurua Dikirr aboard aircraft 5Y-LJM, the same Cessna that carried Edwin SifunaThe aircraft had previously been flagged by a security analyst who linked it to a runway excursion incident in DR Congo in July 2025Gachagua’s use of the plane drew sharp reactions online, with some Kenyans drawing political conclusions about the two politicians<\/p>\n

Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua<\/a> touched down in Emurua Dikirr on Friday, August 21.<\/p>\n

\"EdwinEdwin Sifuna and Rigathi Gachagua used the same plane weeks apart. Photos: Edwin Sifuna, Rigathi Gachagua and Wahome Thuku.
Source: Facebook<\/p>\n

Gachagua was aboard a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan registered as 5Y-LJM, the same aircraft that had transported Edwin Sifuna<\/a> days earlier.<\/p>\n

Did Sifuna, Gachagua use same plane?<\/p>\n

Footage shared on Instagram<\/a> showed Gachagua disembarking from the aircraft, which observers quickly identified as the same plane involved in a controversy that erupted online earlier in August.<\/p>\n

The debate over 5Y-LJM began on August 12, when security<\/a> information analyst Kiyo Nganga, who runs Armistice Security Consult International, posted a photograph showing Sifuna and his team stepping off the aircraft at Ithookwe Airstrip in Kitui.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Read also<\/p>\n

TBT video of William Ruto, Rigathi Gachagua praying at mosque resurfaces amid their sharp rivalry<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Nganga said the image prompted him to cross-reference the plane against his firm’s aviation incident database.<\/p>\n

His findings raised alarm: the same aircraft had been involved in a runway excursion in Bunia, DR Congo, on July 27, 2025.<\/p>\n

Two people were on board during the incident, both sustaining minor injuries, while the plane suffered substantial damage that included a bent nose landing gear and damage to the outer left wing. Initial findings pointed to mechanical failure.<\/p>\n

Nganga also catalogued 13 Cessna-related incidents recorded in Kenya between 2020 and 2025, among them a mid-air collision over Nairobi National Park in March 2024 that claimed two lives.<\/p>\n

Another was a January 2025 crash onto the Malindi-Mombasa highway that killed three people on the ground, and an October 2025 Mombasa Air Safari flight in which all 11 passengers perished near Kwale.<\/p>\n

His database, he said, covers over 20 incidents across Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, DRC, Uganda, Tanzania, and Mozambique over six years.<\/p>\n

The analyst’s warning triggered a public dispute between himself and a trained pilot, drawing widespread attention from Kenyans on X.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Read also<\/p>\n

Mt Ololokwe crash: 5 photos, details of Eucador intelligence chief and his wife who perished<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Gachagua’s arrival on the same plane drew immediate commentary, with several Kenyans reading political meaning into the shared aircraft.<\/p>\n

Frank Ron wrote:<\/p>\n

“The point here is it’s the same plane. Means Sifuna and Riggy G are the same.”<\/p>\n

Oliver Wafula echoed that sentiment, posting:<\/p>\n

“Same sponsor.”<\/p>\n

Gicheru Mburu questioned the choice of transport, writing:<\/p>\n

“I thought someone said they shouldn’t use aircraft.”<\/p>\n

Wycliffe Nyandieka referenced the earlier dispute, noting:<\/p>\n

“Khalif Kairo affirmed that these Cessna planes are safer than your cars.”<\/p>\n

Paul Kariuki offered a technical perspective, stating:<\/p>\n

“Fixed-wing planes are safer.”<\/p>\n

Source: TUKO.co.ke<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rigathi Gachagua arrived in Emurua Dikirr aboard aircraft 5Y-LJM, the same Cessna that carried Edwin SifunaThe aircraft had…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":391087,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[55],"tags":[152],"class_list":["post-391086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tanzania","tag-tanzania"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@africa\/117142212575998360","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=391086"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391086\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/391087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=391086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=391086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=391086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}