Boeing Agrees to $87m Kenyan Payout After Seven-Year Flight 302 Lawsuit
Nearly seven years after the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 disaster, 32 Kenyan families are set to receive a fresh financial settlement from Boeing. The payout amounts to $87.36 million, or approximately Sh11.3 billion, with each family receiving $2.73 million (Sh353 million) under the latest compensation package.
The crash on March 10, 2019, killed all 157 passengers and crew members on board, including the highest number of fatalities among the more than 30 nationalities represented on the flight. The settlement follows a lengthy legal battle against Boeing in US courts, where the families pursued claims over the company's misleading regulators about the 737 MAX's MCAS system.
The case has raised debate in Kenya over how victims of major international accidents can pursue compensation when the companies involved and relevant legal proceedings are based outside the country. Consumer protection groups have described the resolution as a significant outcome for international corporate accountability, while some legal observers have pointed to the reliance on foreign courts as a reason for calls for stronger regional product liability laws.