KENYA|President William Ruto on Thursday announced the death of Chief of Defence Forces Francis Ogolla.
He said Ogolla died in a helicopter crash alongside nine other military officials in Marakwet East.
The President detailed the events leading up to the death of the miliatry officers.
In a televised address to the nation from State House, Nairobi, Ruto said Ogolla boarded the Kenya Air Force Huey Helicopter and left Nairobi Thursday morning.
He said the CDF was on a trip to visit troops deployed in the North Rift under Operation Maliza Uhalifu and to inspect the ongoing school renovation works in five schools.
The President said Ogolla was to inspect Chesitet Primary School, Cheptulel Boys High School, Chepoton Primary School, Ksaa Primary School and Sablimoi Primary School as part of his working tour.
“The CDF had been briefed on the security situation by a multi-agency team stationed at Chesitetin Baringo County, after which he proceeded to the Kainuk Forward Operating Base in Turkana County, where he addressed troops, commending them for their resilience and operational successes,” Ruto said.
The President said Ogolla and his entourage then departed from Kainuk to Chesegon in West Pokot County, where he launched the rehabilitation of Cheptulel Boys High School.
He said he then departed Chesegon for the Recruits Training School in Uasin Gishu County, where he was scheduled to inspect construction facilities at the institution.
Unfortunately, the aircraft crashed shortly after take-off at 2.20pm.
General Ogolla now becomes the shortest serving Chief of General Staff having only assumed the reins of power on April 29, 2023, after taking over from retired General Robert Kibochi.
Ruto said that following the crash, Kenya Air Force constituted and dispatched an air investigations team to establish the cause of the air crash.
The President said the death of Ogolla is painful to him and Kenyans in general.
“This is a moment of great sadness for myself, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, the Kenya Defence Forces fraternity and the nation at large,” he said.
Ruto described Ogolla’s death as the demise of a four-star general who has fallen in the course of duty, and service to the country.
“Our motherland has lost one of her most valiant generals, gallant officers, service men and woman. The demise of General Ogolla is a painful loss to me, and certainly, the sorrow we all feel about his passing is shared by all the people of Kenya, and especially the KDF fraternity.”
