This archive report was first published on 17 July 2019.
Paul Njoroge, a 35-year-old investment professional, has been left with unbearable pain after the loss of his family in the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash on March 10, 2019. His wife Carolyne, mother-in-law Anne, and their three children, Kelli, Ryan, and baby Rubi, were among the 346 people killed in the crash.
Speaking to Reuters, Njoroge said, “Without them I feel nothing. I’m empty. The pain will never go away. I will think of them every minute for the rest of my life.”
He has filed a lawsuit against Boeing Co, accusing the company of negligence. Njoroge has not been able to work since the crash, which occurred during his family’s visit to their native Kenya. He will testify in Congress on Wednesday, along with officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and aviation workers’ unions.
“For most of these families, our lives stopped completely with the crash,” Njoroge said. “What motivates us now is to be an advocate for aviation safety.”
Boeing has not yet been called to testify, but in an emailed statement, the company said it deeply regretted the loss of lives and would work with communities, customers, and the aviation industry to help the healing process.
Njoroge wants Congress to probe not only Boeing but also the certification process of the U.S. government’s Federal Aviation Administration, which deemed the plane safe. He and other families want recertification of the entire plane before it is approved to fly again.
