Retired pilot James Gitahi Ngunyo, who flew former presidents Daniel Arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki has died.
Gitahi died on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 in a road crash at Kyumvi Junction on Mombasa Highway.
Witnesses said Gitahi, who was driving alone, attempted to overtake a lorry but miscalculated the distance of an oncoming truck, leading to a head-on collision.
The accident saw his vehicle burst into flames, trapping him inside. The impact left his body burned beyond recognition.
Although retired as a military pilot after flying for 44 years, Gitahi continued his career as a commercial pilot at Wilson Airport.
Born in a humble background in a village in Kitale, Gitahi never imagined that one day he would fly the country’s heads of state.
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No one in his family had ever stepped into an aviation school, and flying planes was just but a fantasy until he saw a plane at an airstrip.
It was not long before he came across an advertisement that the Kenya Air Force (KAF) was recruiting. He applied and succeeded.
“The first time I got near a plane was at the KAF training college. Learning to fly a plane requires a lot of resources, which my family could not afford,” he said in a past interview.
His biggest breakthrough was in 1984 when he became a co-pilot to Colonel Hussein Farrah, who served under Moi’s era.
The two got a chance to fly the president because they belonged to a special squadron that flies VIPs.
Farrah retired in the early 90s, leaving Gitahi at the helm. Gitahi reportedly flew Moi for 17 years and was described as his trusted and designated pilot. He also flew Mwai Kibaki for eight years.
He was the first to fly the Fokker 70 Extended Range presidential aircraft, which was purchased during his tenure.
“While flying the president, together with my co-pilot, I had to bear in mind that we were holding the fate of the country on air. At times I would go and brief the presidents. These interactions made me realize that a president is just like an ordinary person,” he stated.
He retired in 2010 in an emotional ceremony that marked the end of his 44 years career. Gitahi was married to Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)’s nominated Senator Betty Batuli Montet.
