32 Kenyan families are expected to receive a share of a Ksh11 billion compensation package from Boeing over the March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines crash.
Each affected Kenyan household is projected to receive about Ksh353.3 million, equivalent to about USD2.73 million. The compensation is being paid from a Ksh57.5 billion (USD444.5 million) Victim Compensation Fund established under an agreement Boeing reached with the U.S. Department of Justice in March 2025.
As part of the agreement, Boeing also committed an additional Ksh59 billion (USD455 million) to strengthen safety, quality and compliance measures, alongside appointing an independent compliance monitor.
Ribbeck Law Chartered, a Chicago-based law firm representing 93 families from Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the United States, confirmed that the compensation payments are now being disbursed.
The latest payouts come shortly after the firm helped secure compensation for an Irish family that lost relatives in the crash. The family received Ksh3.8 billion (USD29 million) following the settlement.
The process of coordinating the claims was complex, involving legal proceedings and cooperation across more than 35 countries before agreements could be reached.
The latest compensation fund is part of a broader series of financial settlements arising from the two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes.
In January 2021, Boeing had already agreed to pay more than Ksh324 billion (USD2.5 billion) under a Deferred Prosecution Agreement with U.S. prosecutors. That package comprised a Ksh31.2 billion (USD243.6 million) criminal penalty, nearly Ksh229 billion (USD1.77 billion) in compensation to airline customers, and a Ksh65 billion (USD500 million) fund for victims and their families.
With the latest compensation arrangements, the cumulative amount tied to the criminal case and victim compensation has now risen to approximately Ksh122.6 billion (USD944.5 million).
How the Ethiopian Airlines Crash Happened
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 was travelling from Addis Ababa to Nairobi on March 10, 2019, when disaster struck just minutes after takeoff.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed near Bishoftu, killing all 157 people aboard — 149 passengers and eight crew members — who came from more than 30 countries. Kenya recorded the highest number of citizens killed in the tragedy.
Investigators established that a faulty sensor activated the aircraft's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), repeatedly pushing the plane's nose downward as pilots struggled to regain control.
The crash, which followed the October 2018 Lion Air 737 MAX disaster in Indonesia, led to the worldwide grounding of Boeing's 737 MAX fleet for about 20 months.
The grounding triggered sweeping changes to the aircraft, including software modifications and mandatory changes to pilot training, while Boeing's aircraft certification and safety processes came under intense international scrutiny.
