Pilot captured by S.Sudan rebels pleads with Uhuru for wifes Ksh.6M bill

Pilot captured by S.Sudan rebels pleads with Uhuru for wifes Ksh.6M bill

Veteran pilot Captain Frank Pius Njoroge, who was held hostage by rebels in South Sudan is pleading with President Uhuru Kenyatta and other well wishers to help him settle a hospital Ksh.6.7M debt for his wife.

During an interview with Jeff Koinange and Jalang’o on Hot 96, the 62-year-old captain shared his heart wrenching story and pleaded with the president to come to his rescue.

“Mr. President, as my commander-in-chief, if you can kindly please help her, I need your help now and I know you can. Kindly do whatever you can make my wife get out of hospital, kindly please I know you can and I know you will,” Capt. Njoroge pleaded.

Njoroge was detained alongside his co-pilot Kennedy Shamalla after the plane they had chartered on a humanitarian mission crashed in a remote village in South Sudan, killing one person and four cows.

Nine passengers survived the ordeal but were then captured and handed over to the rebels where they were were detained for six weeks. The rebels were demanding Ksh.20 million in ransom.

They were later released though the Kenyan government never confirmed if it paid the ransom or not.

“One person I would really like to thank is the president, if it weren’t for him, we were never going to get out,” he told Citizen TV’s Waihiga Mwaura.

After his arrival from South Sudan in February 21, the pilot was admitted at The Mater Hospital for check up while his wife Beatrice Njoroge was taken ill a few days after and admitted to Meridian Hospital in Nairobi on March 25, where she underwent four separate surgeries.

She was later moved to the High Dependency Unit for two weeks and has remained in the hospital since.

PHOTO/COURTESY//Frank’s ailing wife Beatrice Njoroge

Njoroge, who has been flying for 40 years, started his career at the Kenya Air Force but left in 1982 when he went into private civil aviation.

If you would like to help, you can send your contributions to Paybill No. 812499 Account Name BEATRICE! HELP!

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south sudan UN Kenya Air Force Captain Frank Pius Njoroge Kennedy Shamalla

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