A pilot with Kenya Airways who died when a car she was driving was involved in an accident at Kahawa Sukari area along Thika Road is Friday set to be buried at her Matutu village, Nyamira County.
Capt Anne Wambui Kariuki Mokua, 44 was alone in her Honda Civic car when the accident happened on Saturday May 11 morning at about 3 am.
She will be buried on Friday May 24, the family announced. She was a mother of three.
Her colleagues at the airline are among those lined up to pay their last respects to the pilot they have praised as dedicated and disciplined.
Witnesses and police said her car rammed into a stationary lorry killing her. She suffered serious head injuries.
Police said she was driving from Nairobi and headed for Thika direction when the accident happened.
Witnesses and police said she was racing on the first left lane when her car rammed on a Mercedes Actros trailer.
The lorry had developed mechanical issues and stalled on the road. The driver of the lorry did not erect a warning as required.
Her car rammed on the rear left side of the lorry indicating she tried to swerve from the scene or did not see it.
Following the impact of the accident Capt Anne Mokua was removed from the badly damaged car and rushed to the nearby Kenyatta University Referral Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Colleagues and friends of Capt Anne Mokua eulogized her online describing her as one of the best pilots at the national carrier.
She trained in South Africa and is a mother of three.
She was born on March 23, 1980 at Sisters Maternity -Thika.
She was the first-born daughter of the late Douglas Kariuki and Pauline Wairimu Kariuki.
According to her eulogy, her childhood days at Gatumaini Primary School -Thika 1986-1993 were characterized by a young girl who was full of life with a passion for knowledge a trait that would stay with her throughout her life.
She was ever curious, always reading, always learning.
This saw her pass her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams much to the joy of her parents, siblings and the extended family.
She joined St Anne’s Lioki from 1994-1997 where she excelled in her secondary school education, leading to her being accepted at the University of Nairobi in 2000.
When she joined The University of Nairobi, she was at the Lower Kabete Campus where she studied for a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce graduating in 2003.
While in college, Kenya Airways came calling and were looking to choose the best and the brightest students to become the next generation of the airline’s pilots.
She was chosen as the only lady of this particular cohort as she was not only excelling in school but also displayed the attitude and aptitude of a future Captain.
That marked the genesis of her transition away from what would have been a career in human resources management to a career with the marvellous flying machines.
She travelled to South Africa to attend the 43rd Aviation School in 2004 and upon her return in 2005 she joined Kenya Airways.
Her journey with Kenya Airways began in January 2005 as a pilot trainee.
After a year and a half of rigorous training, she was appointed as a Second Officer in July 2006, continuing her development until August 2007.
She then became First Officer on the Boeing 737, where she served from September 2007 to October 2009.
Her skills and dedication led her to be promoted to the role of First Officer on the Boeing 767 from November 2009 to August 2012, and then First Officer on the Boeing 777 from September 2012 to December 2016.
In January 2017, Anne achieved the rank of Captain on the Embraer 190, a position she held until February 2018.
She then advanced to Captain on the Boeing 737, where she served with distinction until her death.
She had a passion for seeing more women work as pilots and engineers in a very male-dominated industry.
She was an active member of the Women in Aviation – Kenya Chapter often sharing her story to help inspire the next generation of Kenya female aviators.
Just before the COVID pandemic was to ground the aviation industry, she helped host a group of primary and high-school students at the Kenya Airways head office.
She married Arnold Mokua on May 31, 2011 and were blessed with three children Yvette Wairimu, Kendi Moraa and Sam Okwoyo.
She was a farmer, diligently taking care of their small shamba in Karen, she would often show up at her friends’ houses with a gift of vegetables and eggs.
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