President William Ruto delivered heartbreaking news on Thursday, confirming the demise of Chief of Defence Forces Francis Ogolla, who lost his life in a helicopter crash alongside nine other military officials in Marakwet East.
In a somber televised address from State House Nairobi, President Ruto recounted the events preceding the tragedy, revealing that General Ogolla embarked on his journey from Nairobi aboard a Kenya Air Force Huey Helicopter earlier that Thursday.
The purpose of the trip was twofold: to visit troops deployed in the North Rift as part of Operation Maliza Uhalifu and to oversee ongoing renovation works in five schools. Among the schools scheduled for inspection were Chesitet Primary School, Cheptulel Boys High School, Chepoton Primary School, Ksaa Primary School, and Sablimoi Primary School.
President Ruto explained that General Ogolla received a security briefing from a multi-agency team stationed at Chesitet in Baringo County before proceeding to the Kainuk Forward Operating Base in Turkana County. There, he commended the troops for their resilience and operational achievements.
Subsequently, General Ogolla and his team departed from Kainuk to Chesegon in West Pokot County, where he launched the rehabilitation of Cheptulel Boys High School. From there, they headed to the Recruits Training School in Uasin Gishu County to inspect construction facilities.
Tragically, the helicopter crashed shortly after take-off at 2:20 pm, marking the untimely end of General Ogolla's tenure as Chief of Defence Forces, which began on April 29, 2023, succeeding retired General Robert Kibochi.
President Ruto announced that the Kenya Air Force promptly initiated an air investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
Expressing profound sorrow, President Ruto described General Ogolla's passing as the loss of a distinguished four-star general dedicated to serving the nation. He mourned the loss not only for himself as Commander-in-Chief but also for the entire Kenya Defence Forces fraternity and the nation at large.