By James Innocent
Catholic clergy, civil society leaders, community members, and family gathered in Yei River County to pay their final respects to the late Vivian Nandege.
Late Vivian was one of the 14 victims who died in the Luri plane crash involving a CityLink Aviation aircraft.
Leading the memorial prayers, Father Joseph Arike urged mourners to remain steadfast in their faith despite the tragedy, saying prayer offers strength during times of grief.
”God created humanity for good, but when challenges arise, our faith in Him must become stronger,” Father Arike said. “This world is temporary, and those who die in God’s grace are called to eternal life.”
He said the memorial prayers had initially been planned shortly after the May 8, 2026, crash but were delayed because authorities required DNA testing to identify some of the victims. According to Father Arike, the bodies were later released to families at different times for burial.
Father Arike noted that Vivian Nandege was the last of the 14 victims to be laid to rest in Yei. He added that church leaders would announce the conclusion of the memorial prayer program after consulting with the commissioner of Yei River County and encouraged residents to continue praying for the victims and their families.
Civil society representative Archengello Modi commended the people of Yei River County for standing together with the bereaved family during the funeral.
He described Vivian as a committed civil society journalist and urged communities to continue supporting one another during times of loss and hardship.
The local area chief also expressed sorrow over Vivian’s death, describing it as a painful loss for the community. He encouraged the family to place their trust in God as they mourn.
Rebecca David, a women’s rights advocate, recalled that she had planned to travel to Juba on the same day as Vivian for a training program but was unable to board the aircraft.
She said some travellers were not included on the passenger list and that she remained behind after the aircraft reached capacity. Rebecca added that she later received news that the aircraft had crashed in Luri.
Authorities investigating the crash have not publicly confirmed whether passenger numbers or aircraft loading contributed to the accident.
Joseph Lobuwanga Mille, Chairperson of the Acholi Community in Yei and an uncle of the late Vivian, thanked the people of Yei for their solidarity throughout the mourning period.
He described Vivian as a caring and respectful daughter, adding that her father affectionately nicknamed her “Nandege,” a word meaning “plane” in the local language, making the circumstances of her death especially heartbreaking for the family.
The memorial service concluded with prayers for the victims of the crash and renewed calls for faith, unity, and continued support for bereaved families as the community continues to recover from one of the region’s deadliest aviation tragedies.