Details have emerged on how General Francis Ogolla, Kenya’s Chief of Defence Forces and nine other military personnel were killed after the aircraft they were travelling in crashed shortly after taking off.
General Francis Ogolla, 61, was on a visit to troops stationed in the country’s troubled western region when the aircraft caught fire and crashed shortly after taking off.
The officers had travelled to Kenya’s North Rift region, which has been plagued by banditry on a mission to reopen some of the schools closed following bandit attacks. They had also visited military officers deployed to stabilise the region.
In June 2021 at least 10 soldiers were killed when their helicopter crashed while landing near the capital, Nairobi.
Ogolla – Kenya’s highest ranking military officer – was in the helicopter alongside 11 other military personnel. Only two people survived.
Nine others killed in the crash were named as Brigadier Swale Saidi, Colonel Duncan Keittany, Lieutenant Colonel David Sawe, Major George Benson Magondu, Captain Sora Mohamed, Captain Hillary Litali, Senior Sergeant John Kinyua Mureithi, Sergeant Cliphonce Omondi, and Sergeant Rose Nyawira.
Announcing the deaths, Kenyan President, William Ruto, said: “Today our nation suffered a tragic air accident.
“I am deeply saddened to announce the passing on of General Francis Ogolla, the chief of the Kenya Defence Forces.
“Our motherland has lost one of her most valiant generals.
“The demise of General Ogolla is a painful loss to me… a distinguished four-star general has fallen in the course of duty, and service to country.”
President Ruto noted that the crash happened at 14:20 (11:20 GMT) and that the Kenyan Air Force has dispatched an air investigation team to establish the cause.
The helicopter came down in Elgeyo Marakwet county, some 400km (250 miles) North-west of the capital Nairobi, shortly after take off, Mr Ruto said.
The cause of the crash remains unknown, but an investigation into the incident has been launched.
Mr Ogolla was appointed as chief of the defence forces in April 2023 after the retirement of General Robert Kibochi.
He was surrounded by political controversy even before his appointment, when he was accused by the country’s electoral commission chairperson as being part of a National Security Council delegation that tried to influence the outcome of the 2022 general election against President Ruto.
Mr Ruto later explained that despite the allegations, Mr Ogolla was the most qualified for the job.
Mr Ogolla is survived by his wife Aileen, two children and a grandson.
Kenya will observe a three-day period of mourning, commencing on Friday, with flags flying at half-mast.
Ogolla first joined the Kenya Defence Forces on 24 April 1984, according to the Kenyan defence ministry’s website.
He was due to mark 40 years in the military next week.
He began his career as a 2nd Lieutenant in the country’s Air Force, where he trained as a fighter pilot with the US Air Force, the Ministry says. In 2018, he became Commander of the Air Force.