The release of two abducted Kenyans whose plane crashed in South Sudan on January 7 is shrouded in uncertainty.
The fate of the pilot Captain Frank Njoroge and co-pilot Kennedy Shamalla lies in the hands of exiled former Vice President, Riek Machar.
The plan crashed at Akobo area, a region that has its allegiance to Machar. Akobo is a region under the control of Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) allied to Machar.
The governor from the region is demanding for Sh20 million fine for the release of the two Kenyans.
“The only other option is if Riek Machar says we release them,” Governor Koang Rambang said as quoted by the Standard.
The owner of the crashed plane, Captain Godwin Wachira said the plane was en route to Upper Nile state’s Akobo County from Juba when the accident happened.
“The two had flown to the town in the morning and were flying back to the capital city when three minutes after take-off, the plane went down and crashed on grass thatched houses near the airstrip,” stated he.
Njoroge and Shamalla were flying a Kenyan-owned Cessna Caravan 5Y FDC plane that had been hired by a Juba-based NGO to ferry its staff to the Upper Nile State before the crash happened.
Njoroge was expected to head back home after the job was done.
At the time of the crash, the plane had nine passengers all of whom escaped unhurt.
Captain Njoroge according to reports is ailing and needs urgent medication.
His wife, Beatrice Njoroge has appealed to government to step in and diplomatically diffuse the standoff pitting Kenya and the rebel controlled territory of the Upper Nile.
“I spoke with my husband and he is frail. He suffers from high blood pressure. He needs urgent medical care.
“I am requesting the Government to please step in so that they can be released,” she said adding they are being fed only one meal in a day.
Captain Wachira added that “Captain Njoroge is 61 and he is sick. He has a skin infection. He told me that the living conditions were squalid. But at least they were being given food and somewhere to sleep. They are free to move around in the small town, but at night they are under armed guards.”
The two have been held in a small town within the county on the border of Ethiopia.
Kenya’s ambassador to South Sudan Cleland Leshore said he has established contact with the rebels but they insist the fine must be paid because one person on the ground and 11 cows were killed in the crash.
However, he said : “The government in Juba is also playing a big role to secure their release.”