Kenya military chief, eight others killed in helicopter crash

Kenya’s military chief, General Francis Ogolla, was among nine people killed when their military helicopter crashed shortly after take-off on Thursday, President William Ruto announced.

The aircraft, which had been on a visit to troops deployed in northwest Kenya to combat endemic cattle-rustling, came down just minutes after leaving Cheptulel Boys Secondary School in West Pokot County, Ruto said.

Two soldiers survived the crash and were in hospital, he said, adding that an air investigation team had been sent to discover the cause.

“Our motherland has lost one of her most valiant generals,” Ruto told a news conference. “The demise of General Ogolla is a painful loss to me.”

The office of the previous president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, also took to his social media handle X and said, “It is with great sadness that I have learned of the tragic passing of General Francis Omondi Ogolla, the Chief of Defence Forces of Kenya. His untimely demise in a helicopter crash at the Kaben-Cheptulel border between Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot counties, is a significant loss for our nation.”

The US Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman also shared her condolences on Ogolla’s demise.

“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of Chief of Defense Forces General Ogolla and to all the families of the victims of this terrible crash. I had the honor of working with General Ogolla and had great respect for his integrity and dedication to the Kenyan people. He was a great friend of the United States and helped advance the U.S.-Kenya partnership,” she wrote on X.

Ogolla was previously the head of the Kenyan air force, before rising to deputy military chief and then being promoted by Ruto last year to head the military.

Ogolla joined the Kenya Defence Forces in 1984, where he trained as a fighter pilot with United States Air Force and as an instructor pilot at the Kenya Air Force (KAF), according to a Defence Ministry profile.

When promoting Ogolla to the top military job a year ago, Ruto accused him of being part of a plot to overturn the result of the 2022 presidential election, but said he was the best qualified person for the job.

Dozens of civilians and police officers have been killed in the unrest in the northwest.

At least 10 soldiers were killed in June 2021 when their helicopter crashed while landing near the capital, Nairobi.

(With Inputs from Reuters)

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