Kenya’s Military chief, Francis Ogolla, died in a helicopter crash in the western part of the country yesterday. President William Ruto made the announcement in a televised address.
Mr Ruto said, the helicopter crashed shortly after take-off, killing Kenya’s Military chief and nine other members of the military. He added that two people survived the crash.
A team of investigators has been dispatched to the site of the crash in Elgeyo Marakwet County to determine the cause of the accident. President Ruto said, Ogolla departed Nairobi to visit troops in the North Rift region of the country and to inspect ongoing school renovations.
Kenya will observe three days of mourning beginning today.
According to state broadcaster Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, Ogolla is the first Kenyan military chief to die in active service. As per the Kenya’s Ministry of Defence website, the general joined the Kenya Defence Forces in 1984, becoming second Lieutenant in 1985 before being posted to the Kenya Air Force.