Nearly seven years after Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed en route to Nairobi, 32 Kenyan families are set to receive a fresh financial settlement following a lengthy legal battle against aircraft manufacturer Boeing in US courts.
Each family will receive $2.73 million, equivalent to about Sh353 million, under the latest compensation package arising from the March 2019 disaster.
The new payouts amount to $87.36 million, or approximately Sh11.3 billion, for the 32 affected Kenyan households.
When combined with compensation paid during earlier stages of the legal process, the total financial recovery for the families is estimated at Sh17.3 billion.
Flight 302 crashed on March 10, 2019, six minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while heading to Nairobi.
All 157 passengers and crew members on board died in the crash. Kenya recorded the highest number of fatalities among the more than 30 nationalities represented on the flight.
The latest settlement follows legal proceedings in the United States, where the families pursued claims against Boeing over the crash.
According to the account, the families obtained legal standing as crime victims within the US criminal justice system after Boeing was accused of misleading regulators over the 737 MAX's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).
US product liability laws also allowed relatives of the victims to pursue direct claims against Boeing in federal courts in Chicago.
The compensation was further linked to action by the US Department of Justice after it found that Boeing had violated a previous non-prosecution agreement.
The finding triggered further settlements and allocations from global victim relief funds.
The wider settlements involving Boeing also require the manufacturer to commit resources towards independent safety oversight and improvements to its internal compliance systems.
The Flight 302 crash was one of two fatal disasters involving the Boeing 737 MAX within months.
Lion Air Flight 610 crashed in October 2018, followed by the Ethiopian Airlines disaster in March 2019.
The two crashes resulted in the worldwide grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX fleet and prompted changes to aviation safety standards.
For the affected Kenyan families, the latest settlement brings another chapter in a legal process that has stretched for years.
The case has also renewed debate in Kenya over how victims of major international accidents can pursue compensation when the companies involved and the relevant legal proceedings are based outside the country.
Consumer protection groups have described the resolution as a significant outcome for international corporate accountability.
Legal observers, however, have pointed to the reliance on foreign courts as a reason for renewed calls for stronger regional product liability laws.
