Were was the captain controlling a Eurocopter 350, registration 5Y-DSB, owned by Corporate Helicopters. The aircraft went down in a forest in Mosop, Nandi County, on February 28, killing all on board.
Among the passengers was Johana Ngeno, the Member of Parliament for Emurua Dikirr, alongside four other occupants. None survived the impact, authorities confirmed at the time.
During the funeral service held on Saturday, March 14, in Nyakach, Kisumu County, Were’s widow painfully recalled how she first learned about the crash.
She said she was holding her phone when messages and news alerts began streaming in. At first, she struggled to comprehend what she was reading.
“I learned about my husband’s death via social media. I had the phone in my hand, and I started seeing the news,” she told mourners, her voice breaking.
In disbelief, she attempted to reach out to Corporate Helicopters for confirmation. However, her calls went unanswered, deepening her distress during those agonising moments of uncertainty.
“I tried to call Corporate Helicopters, and they were devastated. They could not pick up the phone,” she recounted.
The widow described the experience as traumatic, saying the anxiety of not receiving immediate official communication compounded her shock and grief.
Family members and colleagues eulogised Lt. Col. (Rtd) Were as a disciplined and experienced aviator who had dedicated his life to service, both in the military and in civilian aviation.
Speakers at the funeral remembered him as a calm professional who took pride in his work and valued his family deeply.
As investigations into the crash continue, the family urged authorities to establish the cause of the accident to offer closure.
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