President William Ruto on Thursday announced the death Kenya’s defence chief, General Francis Omondi Ogolla and nine other top officers in a military helicopter crash which took place in Elgeyo Marakwet county, about 400 kilometres northwest of the capital Nairobi.
“Today at 2:20 pm, our nation suffered a tragic air accident… I am deeply saddened to announce the passing of General Francis Omondi Ogolla,” Ruto told reporters.
Ruto added that nine other “gallant military personnel” on board were also killed while two survived.
The Kenyan President had convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council after news of the accident emerged.
He added the Kenya Air Force has sent an air investigation team to establish the cause of the crash,
The helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from Chesegon, where he and his entourage had been visiting a school, Ruto said.
“A distinguished four-kistar general has fallen in the course of duty and in the service of the country,” he said.
“Our motherland has lost one of her most valiant generals, gallant officers, service men and woman.”
The President also announced three days of mourning from Friday, with official flags flying at half mast.
Giving more details of the crash, Ruto said Ogolla, 61, had left Nairobi on Thursday morning on an air force Huey helicopter to visit troops deployed in the battle against insecurity armed bandits and cattle rustlers rampant.
“The helicopter burst into flames after crashing and it had more than 10 senior commanders on board including General Ogolla,” a police officer had told AFP earlier.
“They were in the area on a security mission because there are KDF (Kenya Defence Forces) soldiers deployed in the region,” he added.
Ogolla was appointed Chief of the Defence Forces by Ruto in April last year after a stint as deputy.
Ruto told journalists last May that he appointed Ogolla despite him being among those who tried to overturn his narrow election win against opposition leader Raila Odinga in 2022.
“When I looked at his CV, he was the best person to be (a) general,” Ruto said, adding his decision went against the wishes of many people.
A trained fighter pilot, Ogolla joined the KDF in April 1984, rising through the ranks to command the Kenyan Air Force in 2018, a post he held for three years.
AFP